The Difference a Little Time Can Make
by ananova
Summary: How much difference can one small change make? What if Inuyasha had reached Kikyou's village a little later? What if he never met her or heard of the Shikon no Tama but still ended up sealed? How would his relationship with Kagome change?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings and a tornado occurs on the opposite side of the world. One difference causes a ripple effect, changing everything. What difference can a small change make? What if Inuyasha didn't arrive at Kikyou's village for several weeks? What difference would a little bit of time make? What if he arrived in time to save Kaede from the demons but was mistakenly blamed by Kikyou? What if he never heard of the Shikon no Tama, never had any type of relationship with Kikyou? How would this affect his meeting with Kagome?

Author's Note: This plot bunny hit me after watching the anime episode "The Tragic Love Song of Destiny". I thought what if he hadn't met Kikyou but still ended up sealed and Kagome still released him. Since no one seems to be reading my story "Kagome's Curse" I haven't been inspired to work on it too much and decided to write this story instead. Please let me know what you think.

I know that in the episode there was only one youkai that tried to kidnap Kaede but I decided to make it a group of weak youkai working together.

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Kaede ran through the forest, dodging trees and rocks as she gasped for breath. She didn't dare look behind her to see how close her pursuers were. She trembled from the effort as she continued to run as fast as she could. She knew she wouldn't be able to outrun them but she could not give up. One hand clutched at what remained of her right eye while the other pushed branches out of her way. Her thoughts were focused on reaching the village and her sister. She knew if she could just reach Kikyou then everything would be alright.

Suddenly, her foot caught on a raised tree root and she fell to the ground. Even as she pushed herself back up to continue her escape she knew it was too late. As she rose to her knees she felt a clawed hand grab her and knew she was caught. She tried to pull away but the grip was too strong.

"Got you now you little brat. No chance for escape now. Your only hope is if your sister decides to cooperate and hand over the Shikon no Tama in exchange for your life." The youkai laughed as he lifted his catch and made his way to where the other youkai were waiting. "Maybe if you're lucky and that miko decides to cooperate we'll make your death quick and painless."

Kaede felt hopelessness well up inside her. Looking around she recognized that she was in the clearing of the Goshinboku. 'So close. I was so close.' She thought with despair. She knew Kikyou couldn't give them the jewel. Her only hope was that Kikyou would be able to defeat them before they killed her but there were too many of them, even for a miko as powerful as her sister. Tears welled in her remaining eye from both the pain of her injury and her feelings of despair. 'I'm sorry Kikyou, I was too slow.' A flash of red in the trees above her caught her attention and she glanced up as she was thrown onto the ground in the circle of youkai.

"Oi, what a bunch of weaklings." A voice called from the treetops. Everyone in the clearing looked up to see a young man with long silver hair dressed in a flowing red outfit balanced on one of the branches.

"Who are you calling weak, you filthy hanyou?!" the youkai jeered at the youth. "You're the weak one, I can smell the human in you, you pathetic half-breed."

The silver-haired youth cracked his knuckles as he replied. "Keh. It takes all of you to catch one little human brat. Definitely weaklings. Not worth my time at all."

"Why you little!" The youkai were enraged at his words and attacked. The silver haired hanyou was easily able to dodge their clumsy movements and retaliated, slashing at them with his claws and yelling "Sankon Tessou!"

After a few moments the youkai were all dead and the only ones still in the clearing were Kaede and her unlikely savior. The hanyou snorted. "Keh. Bunch of weaklings just like I thought." He glanced at Kaede where she was huddled on the ground. "Oi brat, are you alright?"

Kaede just stared at him with her good eye as she continued to sit on the ground in shock. Now that he was on the ground she good easily see his claws and fangs, as well as his golden eyes and the dog ears on top of his head. This boy was obviously youkai and yet he had saved her and was asking if she was alright. Kaede was feeling lightheaded from the blood loss and this strange turn of events was not helping her. She blurted out "Who are you?" before she could stop herself.

The boy, 'Youkai' she told herself, turned to face her completely. Spotting her injury he came closer and crouched before her. "Name's Inuyasha. Are you from the nearby village?" he asked as he assessed her injuries with his eyes. She could only nod.

Inuyasha looked the girl over. She would never be able to make it back to the village by herself. He dug his claws into the palms of his hands as he fought with himself. He sighed. "Can't leave you here, too many youkai around. Come on, I'll bring you back to your people." He stood and extended a clawed hand in her direction.

The twang of an arrow caught both of their attention and then Inuyasha was hurled into trunk of the Goshinboku, an arrow shaft sticking out of his chest. He looked up and saw a glimpse of a woman dressed in the red and white attire of a miko, her long black hair tied back from her face as she regarded him with cold, unemotional, assessing eyes. The wind carried her scent to him, incense and medicinal herbs, with the scent of bell-flowers. "W-why?" he gasped before the world went dark.

"Kikyou-oneesan! Why did you do that?!" Kaede cried as she stared in shock at the boy pinned to the tree.

Kikyou was taken aback by her sister's question. She had learned of the plan to kidnap her sister and ransom her for the Shikon no Tama. She had fought many lesser youkai this day as she searched for her, depleting her arrows. When she finally finds her, she is huddled on the ground, obviously wounded with blood streaming down her face and a youkai standing over her with his bloody claws extended in her direction. Kikyou had taken her last arrow, a sealing arrow and fired it before Kaede was further injured. And now her sister acted like she had done something wrong.

Kikyou quickly knelt next to her younger sister and began to take care of her wounds. As she worked she questioned her. "What do you mean Kaede? He was attacking you."

"No oneesan, he wasn't. He saved me from the other youkai. He was offering to bring me back to the village when..." she trailed off and gestured to Kikyou's bow.

Kikyou was shocked by her sister's answer. A youkai saved her from other youkai? She shook her head. "It was probably a trick. He is a youkai, they are all evil. He probably decided why work with the others when he could use you to get the Shikon no Tama for himself."

Kaede shook her head. "No, he wasn't like that. He could have easily left me but he stopped to see if I was alright. Please, Kikyou-oneesan, won't you release him? He's different from other youkai. Please, oneesan, please release him."

"No Kaede. I will not release a youkai to attack humans."

"But-"

"No. This discussion is over. Come let us get you back to the village. That eye needs tending to." As Kikyou stood she glanced at the form pinned to the Goshinboku. His ears caught her attention. She peered closer at him and extended her miko senses. 'He feels part human?' "He's a hanyou?" she spoke aloud.

Kaede glanced at her. "That is what the other youkai called him. What does it mean?"

"That he is half youkai. One of his parents was likely a human." Kikyou glanced back at the hanyou one last time before turning away. "Perhaps he is different after all. I will have to meditate and reflect on this before I decide what to do." She stared at him and fingered the Shikon no Tama around her neck as a thought occurred to her. 'Yes I must meditate and consider this further.' She took her sister's hand and began the short walk back to the village. Kaede was happy to learn that her sister would consider releasing the hanyou from his seal and happily followed.

However, it was not to be. A few days later youkai that would be known as Naraku mortally wounded Kikyou in his attempt to claim the Shikon no Tama. Kikyou managed to wound him and drive him off before collapsing from her injuries. She instructed the villagers to burn the Shikon no Tama with her body so that it would not fall into the wrong hands. Kaede followed her wishes and the Shikon no Tama traveled to the other world with Kikyou. Kaede became the village miko in Kikyou's place but always regretted the fate of the hanyou sealed to the Goshinboku. She would occasionally wander into the forest, now known as Inuyasha's Forest, to look upon the hanyou still preserved against the trunk of the Tree of Ages, and wonder about what might have been.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings and a tornado occurs on the opposite side of the world. One difference causes a ripple effect, changing everything. What difference can a small change make? What if Inuyasha didn't arrive at Kikyou's village for several weeks? What difference would a little bit of time make? What if he arrived in time to save Kaede from the demons but was mistakenly blamed by Kikyou? What if he never heard of the Shikon no Tama, never had any type of relationship with Kikyou? How would this affect his meeting with Kagome?

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. I am more likely to update quickly when I am inspired by reviews, otherwise I might lose interest and take a while to post the next chapter.

Warning: Groping and talk of rape though nothing actually happens. There is a reason for the rating on this story.

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_Tokyo, Japan, Modern Era_

The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky. Not a cloud was in sight. It was the perfect day. At the Higurashi Shrine, a young girl in a white and green school uniform exited the house and called out "I'm leaving now."

She received a reply from her mother. "Be careful dear, and have fun with your friends after school. But don't stay out too late. I'm making Oden for dinner and I have a cake prepared as well. After all, it's not everyday my little girl turns 15."

"Oden? Thanks Mama. I promise I won't be too late, not when I have your cooking to look forward to. I'll see you later." She called as she turned to exit the shrine. Her name was Higurashi Kagome and today was her 15th birthday. And she just knew that something special was going to happen to her today, she could just feel it. As she hurried to the steps that lead to the street she paused when she heard her name. Turning, she saw her younger brother Souta standing in the doorway to the mini-shrine that housed the old dry well.

"Souta! What are you doing in there? You know that you're not supposed to play in there." She called as she hurried over to him.

"I'm not. It's Buyou. He's in there somewhere and he won't come when I call."

"So why don't you go in and get him?" she asked.

"Why do I gotta be the one to go get him? This place is creepy." Souta complained. There was a rattling sound from somewhere in the darkened building and Souta jumped, hiding behind Kagome. "There's something in there" he cried.

"Yeah, like our cat" she said as she rolled her eyes. "Wait here, I'll go get him."

She descended the steps into the building. It was dark and she had to let her eyes adjust to the dim lighting. She heard the noise again but it seemed to be coming from the old well. 'That sound again. It seems to be coming from inside the well. Is that even possible?' She jumped and yelled as she felt something brush against her ankle. Looking down she gave a sigh of relief. "Buyou, it was only you. You scared me." She bent down to pick him up.

"Don't yell like that, you scared me." She heard Souta yell and turned to glare at him.

"You little brat. Next time you can come get him yourself." Kagome took a step towards the stairs when a sound behind made her pause. That rattling sound had occurred again and this time she knew Buyou wasn't responsible because she was holding him. She started to turn when there was a loud crashing sound as the lid to the well was tossed aside. Her grip on Buyou loosened and he jumped out of her arms with a terrified hiss. She felt arms wrap around her body and then there was a falling sensation as she was pulled towards the well. The last thing that she saw in the old well house was her brother's terrified face as he called her name "KAGOME!" Then a blue glow surrounded her and she felt the sensation of floating.

She felt the arms holding her turn her around and she came face to face with a monster. It had the face and upper body of a woman, if one ignored the fact that she had multiple arms, all of which were holding onto part of Kagome's body, and a body like a centipede's. "AAH!" Kagome screamed. "What are you?!"

The creature holding her clutched her to its body as it cried. "Oh alive, to be alive once more. I can feel my strength returning already. You have it don't you, the Shikon no Tama." It stuck out it's tongue to lick at Kagome's face, causing the girl to flinch and shy away in disgust. "Give it to me. Give me the Shikon no Tama." And she caressed Kagome's face with her tongue once more.

Kagome cried out in disgust. "EEW! You freak! What are you doing to me? Let go!" A pink light appeared from her hand as she shoved at the creature holding her and it was blown backwards, one of it's many arms missing. Kagome stared in shock and then she was out of that strange open area as she felt feet touch the ground. Looking around, she found herself to be at the bottom of the well.

Kagome shook her head to clear it. "I must have fallen in and hit my head" she said. "None of that happened, it was just a dream." She looked up at the top of the well and wondered at the brightness as she called "Souta! I fell down the well. Get Grandpa." When there was no answer she gave an angry growl. "He probably took off, the little coward."

She began trying to climb out of the well. Her task was made easier by the thick vines that were hanging down the side of the well. "I don't remember seeing these before. I wonder how they got here." She managed to reach the top of the well and pulled herself over the side with a sigh. "At least I'm out of there." She opened her eyes and gave a startled gasp. "What?! Where am I? What happened to the well house and the shrine?" She was in a clearing in what appeared to be a thick forest. She knew that there was no such forest anywhere near the shrine so how had she come to be here.

Taking a few steps away from the well, Kagome called "Mom? Grandpa? Souta? Anyone?" as she looked for anything that looked even remotely familiar. Turning, she spotted the familiar form of the Goshinboku nearby. "The sacred tree. Maybe I'm only in the woods behind the shrine after all. I mean it's possible that there was a second well in the forest and the two are connected by a tunnel somehow, right?" She rationalized to herself as she hurried to the familiar landmark. Upon reaching it, she had to disregard that theory as the shrine was still nowhere in sight. However, all thoughts of how she had gotten there were forgotten when she saw the figure pinned against the base of the tree.

"A boy?" she asked as she stared at the figure clad in red. His long silver hair fluttered in the wind, and he appeared to be sleeping while standing with his back against the tree and large vines wrapped around his lower body, as if cradling him to the tree. She came closer, climbing the vines as she called "Hey, are you alright?" She received no response. She moved closer until she was only inches away from him. His handsome face was relaxed in sleep. "Hello?" Still no response. 'Is he even breathing?' she wondered. The top of his head drew her attention and she stared. 'Are those... dog ears?' She stared a moment longer and then gave in to the urge to touch them. Reaching one hand up to each ear, she gently rubbed them. 'So soft and silky. I wonder...'

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden noise behind her. Twang! Thunk!

As arrows embedded themselves in the tree mere inches from them, Kagome threw herself against the boy, instinctively shielding his body with her own. With her heart pounding in her chest, she lifted her face from the chest of the too-still boy and slowly turned around. She was met with the sight of a group of men in old-fashioned kimonos pointing bows and arrows at her. She raised her eyes to meet their harsh stares and gulped before nervously beginning to speak. "Uh, hello. I don't suppose-"

She was interrupted by a harsh "Quiet! Don't move." Seeing the arrows still pointed at her and ready to be fired, she obeyed. Two of the men set aside their weapons to roughly grab her and bind her wrists behind her back with rope. She made to protest but the other men kept their arrows trained on her and she wisely decided to keep quiet.

Once bound the man who had spoken earlier grabbed her face, raising it to meet his gaze as he asked "What is your business here? This land is forbidden. Why have you trespassed in Inuyasha's Forest?"

Kagome responded "I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm lost and was simply trying to find my way home."

One of the men called out "Don't believe her. Look at her clothes, see how strange they are? She is a youkai. This is but a trick to get us to let down our guard." Several others murmured in agreement.

'Youkai?' Kagome thought. "Hey, I'm no youkai. And what's wrong with my clothes?" she responded harshly, only to be slapped in the face by the apparent leader.

"Quiet! You don't speak unless spoken to. We won't fall for any of your tricks, youkai." He told her harshly before turning to the rest of the group. "We will bring her to the village and let Kaede-sama decide. If she is a youkai Kaede-sama will be able to tell and we will kill her."

Kagome felt terror clutch at her at these words. 'Kill me? But I've done nothing to them. What is this place that they will kill someone because they are dressed differently?' She was left to her thoughts as they forced her to march through the forest. Her cheek throbbed painfully as she considered their actions and words, and as she listened to their conversation her terror only increased.

"Do you really think she is a youkai?" One man asked.

"Of course. Look at her clothing, what kind of woman would wear something so indecent? Only a youkai would wear something like that. Look how short that kimono is, I can practically see her ass." Kagome felt her cheeks flush with anger and embarrassment at his words but kept her mouth shut to avoid further confrontations.

Another man answered "Maybe she's not a youkai, but a whore and these clothes are to show off her goods. If Kaede-sama says she is not a youkai I think I'll give her a try." He and a few others laughed as Kagome felt her blood boil with rage. She suddenly felt a hand rubbing her rear and screeched in rage and shock as she tried to jerk away. Her movement overbalanced her and with her arms bound behind her back she had no way to steady herself as she fell to the ground with her legs splayed.

"Look" the man who had said she was a whore called "she seems eager for it too. She's already in position. Maybe she is a whore and we can have some fun right now." He said as he stepped closer to her. Kagome's terror only increased at the lustful gaze he sent her way.

However, before he could do anything else the man who had called her a youkai said "I still think she's a youkai. Look at her, can't you see there is something strange about her? How could you consider doing that with a youkai? We should just kill her and be done with it." This led to a conversation between the men of whether they should kill her or bed her. Kagome listened in horror, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to find a way out of this mess. The men finally came to the conclusion that they would bring her to this Kaede, whoever that was, and if Kaede decided she was a youkai they would kill her and if Kaede decided she was human then they would 'have fun with her', meaning the would rape her.

With their argument settled one of them approached Kagome and hauled her to her feet. Kagome looked and saw that the other men were all several feet away. Seeing no arrows pointed at her, and with her mind filled with thoughts of the two possible fates awaiting her in the village, Kagome seized her chance. She used her body to shove the man next to her aside and took off running for the trees. She heard them curse behind her and then some sounds that they were pursuing her but she continued to run deeper into the forest, never looking back. Branches and other foliage slapped at her face as she was unable to use her hands to block it but she didn't allow that to stop her as she continued to run as fast as she could.

She ran for a long time, long after the sounds of pursuit faded away. She tripped several times, gaining scrapes and bruises along her body but she would stumble to her feet and start running again. Finally, exhausted and gasping for breath, she collapsed against a tree and began to cry. "Where am I? I just want to go home. How could those men talk so easily about either killing or raping me? What kind of sick, twisted place have I found myself in? I want Mama, I want to go home. I should be out celebrating with my friends and having fun, not lost in the woods worrying about being killed or raped. Some birthday this is turning out to be."

She sobbed as she sat at the base of the tree. Her arms were still bound behind her back and she calmed enough to find a sharp rock to cut the rope with, sawing back and forth until the rope frayed and snapped. Finally free, she wrapped her arms around her body as she continued to sob until she cried herself into an exhausted, restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings and a tornado occurs on the opposite side of the world. One difference causes a ripple effect, changing everything. What difference can a small change make? What if Inuyasha didn't arrive at Kikyou's village for several weeks? What difference would a little bit of time make? What if he arrived in time to save Kaede from the demons but was mistakenly blamed by Kikyou? What if he never heard of the Shikon no Tama, never had any type of relationship with Kikyou? How would this affect his meeting with Kagome?

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. I am more likely to update quickly when I am inspired by reviews, otherwise I might lose interest and take a while to post the next chapter. I'm not saying that I won't post if I don't get a certain number of reviews, just that I write faster when I am inspired.

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A few hours have passed and it was now late afternoon. Kagome slowly stirred, groaning as she uncurled herself from the ball she had curled up into. Her body was stiff and sore. Not opening her eyes she muttered "Damn. Did I fall asleep on the floor watching a movie again? I feel so sore." She slowly opened her eyes but as her gaze fell on her surroundings they widened in shock, and her memories filtered back which caused her to sit up with a gasp. "Oh no! It wasn't a dream, was it? I'm really lost in some forest where the people are crazy and want to kill me or worse. Why couldn't I wake up in my bed at home to find out that it was all a bad dream?" She closed her eyes to keep from crying. "Sitting here and crying won't help anything." She told herself. "I have to find a way home. Maybe if jump into the well again. It brought me here, so it stands to reason that it could send me home too, right?"

Her mind made up, she opened her eyes and stood up. She looked around but didn't see anything that looked familiar and she couldn't remember which way she had come from during her terror induced run. "Guess I should just pick a direction and head in it." She suited actions to words and began to walk through the forest in a randomly picked direction.

She had only been walking for a short time when she heard a sudden crashing noise behind her. Turning to look, she spotted the monster from the well as it tore through the forest, knocking down trees in its haste to reach her. "The Shikon no Tama, give it me!" it cried.

Kagome screamed and took off running. She could hear the creature pursuing her, the trees slowing it only a little as it knocked them aside. Panting for breath, she concentrated on running as fast as she could, hoping to put some distance between the monster and herself and hopefully lose it. 'Why is this happening to me?' She thought. "Someone, anyone, help me! Please!" she cried as she ran. A light pulsed ahead of her and caught her attention. She ran towards it hoping she would find someone there who would be able to help her.

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Inuyasha stirred against the trunk of the Goshinboku. His ears twitched and his chest rose as he breathed again for the first time in fifty years. Opening his eyes he questioned "What? I'm alive? How?" Glancing down he saw the vines wrapped around his body. "How long have I been here?" He found he still could not move and wondered what could have revived him.

A sudden shout in the distance reached his ears. "Someone, anyone, help me! Please!" He turned his head, the only part of his body he could move, to look in that direction. A few minutes later a girl entered the clearing and he stared at her.

She was dressed in an odd white and green outfit, her indecently green skirt showing off her long legs. Her long black hair flowed over her shoulders as she turned her head to look behind her. Not watching where she was going, she tripped over a loose stone and landed beneath him at the base of the Goshinboku. She lifted her face from the earth and Inuyasha gave a low growl upon spotting it. 'The miko who shot and sealed me.' She jerked her head up to stare at him upon hearing his growl and he corrected himself as he stared into her wide blue eyes. They were full of emotion, as if he could see right into her heart and soul. 'No, there is a resemblance but her eyes, her eyes shine with too much emotion to be the same cold and emotionless woman who shot me with this arrow.' Her scent reached him and his eyes widened at the wonderful smell that called to him and soothed his anger. 'That scent. I've never smelled anything like it before. It is intoxicating. Who is she?' He found himself wishing she was closer so he could bury himself in that smell. He heard her speak and snapped out of his shock.

"You-you're awake" she spoke as she stared up at him.

"Keh. Speak the obvious, why don't you?" he said as he stared down at her. Her cheeks flushed at his words and she stood as she opened her mouth to respond. A sudden crashing sound interrupted her and both turned to see a giant centipede youkai crash into the clearing.

The girl gave a terrified scream and turned to run but was quickly knocked off her feet by the youkai. She again landed at the base of the Goshinboku but she was then lifted up by the youkai as it demanded "The Shikon no Tama, give me the Shikon no Tama." It lifted her up to it's face in front of Inuyasha and opened its mouth to bite into her. Suddenly arrows came raining into the clearing, puncturing the body of the youkai and causing it to release her to land beside Inuyasha. He turned his head and saw a group of villagers behind the nearby trees, led and directed by an old miko.

Inuyasha gave a quiet snort when he saw that their efforts were having no effect on the youkai. "Bunch of weak humans. Can't even deal with a weakling like Mistress Centipede by themselves." Turning his attention to the girl at his feet he said "Oi wench, you think you can remove this arrow?"

Kagome pulled herself to her feet and turned to look at the boy upon hearing his voice. She had forgotten he was there. "Huh?" she asked as she stepped closer.

He rolled his eyes at her. "The arrow, baka. Do you think you can remove it from my chest?"

"H-hey. There's no need to call me names." she said as she began to get angry, completely forgetting about the confrontation occurring behind her. That was not a good thing as Mistress Centipede chose that moment to ignore the other humans and focus her attention on the one she believed possessed what she sought.

Kagome shrieked as she felt the monster's arms wrap around her to pull her away again. She grabbed onto the boy in front of her, and wrapped her own arms around his waist, refusing to let go as she was tugged away. "Let go" she cried at the monster.

"Oi!" Inuyasha yelled. "You let go of me!" He cried as his body was tugged painfully, the arrow keeping him pinned in place against the tree. He ignored his body's reaction to the warm body wrapping itself around his as he focused on the pain and discomfort of being tugged away from a tree he is still pinned to.

In the nearby trees, the one-eyed miko looked up in alarm at his voice. "He is awake! But how? That spell should have lasted forever without Kikyou-oneesan to release him." She caught a glimpse of the girl's face as she was tugged away from the hanyou and whispered "Kikyou?"

As the youkai finally pulled Kagome away from the strange boy, it spoke "This body is so weak. I will devour you, Shikon no Tama and all, and regain my former strength." It lifted Kagome close to its open mouth, revealing sharp pointy teeth.

"AAHH!" Kagome screamed as she instinctively tried to shield herself with her hands. A pink glow emitted from her hands and blasted the creature away from her, severing several of her arms. "That light, that's the same thing that happened in the well." Kagome said as she stared at her hands in shock. "How did I do that?"

Nearby Kaede's eye widened as she said "A miko's glow and power?"

In her shock Kagome didn't notice that Mistress Centipede had recovered and approached her. Her first sign that something was wrong was a sudden pain in her side as the youkai clamped its teeth onto her hip and bit down. Kagome was thrown through the air as the youkai released her and something was torn from her body. "What-?" she questioned as she spotted the glowing orb laying in the grass beside her.

Kaede's eye widened further. "The Shikon no Tama! How did this girl come into possession of it? It was supposed to have been destroyed. Hey girl, do not let the youkai possess the jewel. It must not have it!"

Distantly Kagome heard the old woman's shouts as she wrapped her hand around the jewel. "This was inside me?" she questioned.

She heard a shouted "Watch out" from the boy on the tree and then the Centipede was before her again. "I knew you had it, you vile human. Give it to me!" It wrapped its body tightly around her crushing her against the boy and the tree. Kagome cried out as the jewel slipped from her fingers to land on the ground at the base of the tree.

Kagome could not move and she cried out as the pressure increased, crushing both her and the strange boy against the tree. She heard the boy curse and then he yelled at the monster holding them. "Hey you stupid weakling, get the hell off of us."

The monster turned its head to regard them. "Hmm, a hanyou? What could a filthy hanyou like you do? The Shikon no Tama is mine."

Inuyasha growled out "You talk pretty big but I bet you can't back it up. Let go and I'll show you how strong I really am."

"Don't make me laugh. You are nothing but a weak child. You can't even move, can you?" With that, it turned its attention to the jewel lying in the grass. Sticking out its tongue, it grabbed and swallowed the jewel. Kagome gasped as a transformation seemed to take place, the youkai growing larger and more hideous than before. The arms Kagome had somehow blasted off grew back and Kagome screamed as the pressure on her body increased further. Kagome was vaguely aware of the humans launching weapons at the monster but they had even less effect than their earlier efforts.

"I'm going to be crushed to death by a monster" Kagome whimpered through the pain as she closed her eyes and laid her head on the boy's chest.

"Oi wench." A voice called to her and she opened her eyes to peer into the golden eyes of her fellow captive. "Are you alright?" She shook her head no as tears leaked out of her eyes. He peered down at her intently and asked "Do you think you can reach this arrow? Can you pull it out?"

Kagome stared at him. Nearby Kaede also heard his words. "No child, you must not release him. Do not remove the arrow." Kaede feared what would happen if the hanyou gained possession of the jewel. She knew that he was strong enough to defeat the youkai, regardless of whether it possessed the jewel or not, but feared what the jewel would do to him, how it might affect him. Kaede knew from her younger days that youkai were drawn to the Shikon no Tama, and that when they drew to close to it they change into a twisted, more evil creature, just as Mistress Centipede had. Kaede could see how powerful he was by his aura, even though he was still sealed, and feared how the jewel would increase his power.

Kagome had heard the old woman's words and turned her head to glance at her. As she did, she recognized several of the men standing around her as the men who had captured her earlier. Her fear increased upon spotting them, and she turned away, resolving to ignore the old woman and trust her own instincts.

Inuyasha had also easily heard the words of the old miko and began to growl. 'Keh! What else should I expect from a bunch of humans.' He easily detected the spike of fear in the girl's scent but mistakenly believed it to be caused by him and let his ears droop in disappointment, as he believed that it meant that she would heed the old woman. Therefore, he was taken aback when the girl turned back to face him, looking him straight in the eye as she hesitantly placed a hand on the shaft of the arrow.

Kagome stared intently into the golden gaze of the boy she was trapped against. Blue met gold and time seemed to stand still. She ignored everything else around her as she focused on him. He stared right back at her just as intently and then he spoke. "I'll protect you, I swear." Kagome stared into his eyes for a moment longer and something his gaze made her believe him. She nodded once, and then, ignoring the shouts from Kaede and the other villagers, began to pull on the arrow. She pulled as hard as she could but it would not budge.

Kagome suddenly cried out as the pressure increased even further. "Fools, do you think you can escape so easily?" Mistress Centipede laughed as she turned her attention back to them. "I have you right where I want you. There will be no escape."

Kagome gasped and pulled harder on the arrow. "NO! I refuse...to...die...like this! I...want...to...LIVE!" And with that last word the arrow came loose before dissolving in a flash of pink light.

As the arrow turned to dust, Inuyasha's whole being pulsed, causing the vines to fall away and blasting Mistress Centipede away. Kagome was also pushed away by the pulse, but as she fell through the air she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and cradle her against a hard chest. She caught a glimpse of the determined look on his face, and then he set her down on the ground and placed himself in front of her protectively. "Alright you nasty old hag, how about you play with me now" he said as he cracked his knuckles before lunging forward.

"Impudent child!" the youkai screeched.

"Old enough to take care of a weakling like you" he shot back. "Sankon Tessou!" he cried as he drove his claws down the center of her body, easily splitting her in half. Unnoticed by him, the jewel broke free of the body and bounced and rolled along on the ground. Inuyasha ignored the humans' mutterings about how he was able to defeat the youkai with one hit as he dusted his hands off and said "Keh. Told you she was a weakling." The jewel rolled to a stop at Kagome's feet. This time Inuyasha noticed but ignored it as he glanced around the clearing.

The villagers glanced at each other and then pointed their weapons at Inuyasha, deeming him a threat now that he was free. Inuyasha saw this and snorted "Some gratitude you show for saving your lives." After overhearing their angry mutterings about not needing help from a "damn youkai" and that they should take care of him before he has a chance to attack, Inuyasha decided that it was time for him to leave. He gave one final glance at the girl he feels oddly drawn to, and then he leaped up into the trees and bounded away. Several of the men fired arrows at his sudden movement but are too slow and miss.

With Inuyasha's departure, the humans, including Kagome, were left in the clearing to glance at each other.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings and a tornado occurs on the opposite side of the world. One difference causes a ripple effect, changing everything. What difference can a small change make? What if Inuyasha didn't arrive at Kikyou's village for several weeks? What difference would a little bit of time make? What if he arrived in time to save Kaede from the demons but was mistakenly blamed by Kikyou? What if he never heard of the Shikon no Tama, never had any type of relationship with Kikyou? How would this affect his meeting with Kagome?

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. I am more likely to update quickly when I am inspired by reviews, otherwise I might lose interest and take a while to post the next chapter. I'm not saying that I won't post if I don't get a certain number of reviews, just that I write faster when I am inspired.

Author's note: To those of you who were wondering why Inuyasha didn't try to take the jewel in the previous chapter, he was sealed before he learned about the jewel. In the anime episode "The Tragic Love Song of Destiny" he found out about the jewel after he encountered Kikyou. In this story he was sealed before that could happen. I hope this clears up any confusion.

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The humans continued to stare blankly at one another for a few moments after Inuyasha had departed. Kagome fidgeted nervously, wondering what to do now. At her movement, the villagers snapped out of their shock and pointed their weapons in her direction. Kagome gulped and thought 'Not this again. Can't I catch a break today.' She was broken out of her thoughts when the old woman spoke up.

"Lower your weapons. She is no threat to any of you. Are you cowards that the sight of an unarmed girl scares you?"

"But Kaede-sama, she is dangerous, she must be a youkai. Don't you see the odd way she is clothed?" One of the men spoke up and Kagome recognized him as one of the men from earlier. Kagome felt her fear increase as she recalled hearing them speak of Kaede earlier, and realized that this old woman was the one who would decide her fate.

"Bah! She is no youkai or do you doubt my ability to sense auras? She is no danger to you, now put aside your weapons."

The men began to reluctantly lower their weapons but one man continued to protest. "But Kaede-sama, she is dressed so strangely. And she released that other youkai, the one that Kikyou-sama had imprisoned 50 years ago. How can we just let her go free?"

"Enough! I have told you she is no threat. Now quiet, I would speak with her." And with that Kaede approached where Kagome had been standing and listening to the confrontation.

As Kagome watched her approach she remembered the Shikon no Tama and bent down to retrieve it without taking her eyes off of the old miko. 'I should hold onto this for now' she thought as she placed it in her pocket. 'I might be able to use it as a bargaining chip for my life.' She straightened and watched as the one the men called Kaede came closer, and tried not to show how nervous she was.

Kaede walked right up to the young girl and grabbed her chin firmly. Turning her face this way and that, she peered closely at her, while ignoring her protests at this treatment. Satisfied at what she observed, Kaede let go of her and asked "Who are you child? How did you come into possession of the Shikon no Tama?"

Kagome was angry and stressed out from the events of the day. She was quickly nearing her limit at this point. Hearing the question posed to her she blew up. "I don't know how I got it, I have no idea how or why it was in my body. I don't even know what it is. I don't want to be here. I want you people to just leave me alone. I just want to go home" she yelled out. Several of the village men had begun to raise their weapons at her outburst but Kaede gestured for them to lower them.

"Hush child" Kaede soothed. "My name is Kaede and I will try to explain what I know of the Shikon no Tama and my theory of why it is in your possession. But first, may I know your name?"

Kagome blushed at the gentle reprimand in the woman's voice. "My name is Kagome, Higurashi Kagome. I apologize for my outburst Kaede-san. I am just a little overwhelmed at the moment."

Kaede chuckled. "That is alright Kagome-san. I understand. I am the resident miko of the village located on the outskirts of this forest. Fifty years ago, my older sister Kikyou, a powerful miko in her own right and the protector of our village, was asked to guard the Shikon no Tama. It is a powerful magic object that is sought after by youkai to increase their power. It is believed to be able to grant any wish or ambition, whether for good or evil. Fifty years ago, my sister was attacked by a powerful youkai and mortally wounded before she drove it off. As she lay dying, she instructed us to burn the jewel with her body so that it would not fall into the wrong hands. She planned to bring it with her to the other world."

As Kaede paused, Kagome asked "But if the jewel was destroyed, then how did I get it? And why was it inside my body?"

"I believe you are the reincarnation of my sister. You greatly resemble her and you possess the spiritual powers of a miko. This coupled with the fact that the Shikon no Tama was hidden inside your body, most likely since birth, leads me to believe this theory. I believe that you were born to be the guardian and protector of the jewel. You must not allow it to fall into the hands of those who would use it for evil."

Kagome listened to this with stunned disbelief. 'Reincarnation? Protector of some mystical jewel that is sought by youkai? What have I gotten myself into?' However, part of her mind was still preoccupied, and she couldn't help but wonder about the boy from earlier. 'Who is he? Where did he go? Why was he pinned to the tree in the first place?' She couldn't get him out of her mind. She turned to the old miko next to her and asked. "What about that boy from earlier? Where does he fit into this? Why was he pinned to the tree?"

Kaede raised an eyebrow at her questions. 'Is this just curiosity or something more?' The old woman stared at the young girl for a moment before answering her questions. "He made an impression on you, did he? He has that effect. Not much is known about him. His name is Inuyasha and he is a hanyou. Fifty years ago, shortly before Kikyou's death, he saved my life from several youkai who were hoping to use me as leverage against my sister. They wanted to bargain my life for the Shikon no Tama. That is how I lost my eye." She indicated her injury and continued before Kagome could interrupt. "He had killed the youkai who attacked me and was offering to bring me to the village. That is when Kikyou arrived. She saw him standing over me with blood on his claws and assumed he was the one responsible for my wound. She used her last arrow to seal him against the Goshinboku."

At this point Kagome interrupted. "But why didn't she release him when you told her that he was innocent?"

"I did tell her that he was not the one responsible, that he had in fact saved me. Kikyou-oneesan would not release him though. She said it was most likely a trick and that he would turn against the village. She was of the mind that all youkai are evil and not to be trusted."

"But that's not right!" Kagome burst out. "He didn't do anything to her or you. He helped you and was punished for something he didn't do. What is wrong with you people that you would punish someone for something that they didn't do, and treat them so unfairly just because they are different?" She continued to rant for another minute about how unfair their actions were.

Kaede sat there in silence and let the young woman rant about the unfairness. She partly agreed with the girl, having always felt some guilt over the hanyou's fate. She said nothing however, because while she might agree, she could now understand her sister's point of view after all of the youkai she has had to fight. Most youkai were blood thirsty creatures who would rather attack you than let you live in peace. She could now understand her sister's decision to leave the hanyou sealed, not knowing what he would do once freed. So once Kagome had finished her tirade instead of agreeing or disagreeing with her Kaede said "It is dangerous to remain out here. It is getting late and will be dark soon. Other youkai will come, attracted by the power of the Shikon no Tama. Come, we will return to the safety of the village."

At the miko's words, Kagome was instantly on edge. Glancing nervously at the men nearby, especially the ones from earlier, she spoke up. "Thank you for the invitation but I have to decline it. I'm going to try to find my way home. I'll be fine by myself."

Kaede shook her head at the girl. "I'm afraid I can't allow that. I must insist that you return to the village with us."

Kagome tried again. "Look Kaede-sama, I really appreciate the offer, but I'd rather not."

"I don't think you understand, Kagome-san. You do not have a choice. You **will** return to the village with us. We can't afford to let the Shikon no Tama fall into the hands of youkai or anyone else who would use it for evil. And that is what will happen if you remain out here by yourself." Kaede signaled to the village men. Two quickly approached Kagome from behind and grabbed her arms. "I'm sorry for this but you will eventually see that this is necessary."

Kagome began to struggle as soon as she felt the men grab her. "Let go. I told you I just want to go home. Let go of me!" She was frightened by this turn of events and her fear only increased when she realized that one of the men holding her was the man who had groped her earlier. This only frightened her more about what possible fate awaited her in the village. "LET GO!"

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Meanwhile, Inuyasha had never really left. After he had bounded away from the clearing, he had circled back around, staying out of sight in the high branches of the trees. He had perched on a high branch in a nearby tree where he could see and hear everything in the clearing.

Inuyasha found himself drawn to the strange girl who had freed him. He could not get her face and scent out of his mind. Something about her just called to him. He had stayed nearby to see if he could learn more about her. He had sat and listened to everything that was said. Kaede had been too preoccupied with examining Kagome to feel his aura.

He heard the girl introduce herself to the old woman. 'Kagome, her name is Kagome.' When he heard the old woman explain about the Shikon no Tama and how it could increase the power of youkai and grant any wish, Inuyasha thought about going down and stealing it for himself. 'With the power of the Shikon no Tama I would be able to become a full youkai. No one, human or youkai, would be able to doubt my power then.' However he was stopped before he could do more than think it. The face of the girl, Kagome, flashed through his mind, her eyes wide and trusting as he promised to protect her. He found he couldn't bring himself to do it and risk harming her. Instead, he sat and continued to listen. He wasn't sure how he felt at hearing that the miko who sealed him was dead. On the one hand he was not able to get revenge, but on the other hand he did not have to worry about her coming after him again. Though he wasn't sure how he felt about Kagome being her reincarnation. He decided to ignore that part for now.

His ears perked up when he heard the girl ask about him. 'She wants to know about me? Does she feel it too, this connection between us?' He shook his head. 'No, she probably just wants to know what kind of monster she released' he thought bitterly.

He listened to the old woman relay the events leading up to his sealing. He was definitely surprised to learn how long he had been sealed. 'Fifty years?! I was sealed for fifty years? Hard to believe that that old hag down there is the same little kid I saved from the youkai. For me it seems like it was just a few hours ago.' When Kagome asked why he hadn't been released he felt his surprise increase. 'Why does she care? Doesn't she realize I'm a hanyou?' The answer to her question didn't surprise him though. 'Keh. What else can you expect from a bunch of humans?' He was used to being treated like that because of his youkai heritage.

However, he was definitely shocked by the girl's anger and outrage on his behalf. He listened to her rant about how unfair and unjust it was. 'She's angry for me?' He sat there in shock as he pondered this strange girl that he found himself drawn to. This girl who didn't seem to consider him to be monster and was outraged on his behalf because of his unfair treatment. She didn't seem to hold his heritage against him at all. Not since his mother had he ever had someone treat him that way. He felt this girl quickly sneaking between the cracks of the shield he had place over his heart.

Deep in thought, he distantly heard the old miko say that it was time to go back to the village. Inuyasha felt both relief and disappointment at that proclamation. He was relieved that the girl would soon be in a village with her own kind and safely out of the reach of other youkai. But he was disappointed because he knew that once she was in the village he would be unlikely to see her again. Inuyasha was wondering at his feelings on this matter, surprised by how much he already seemed to care about her, when he heard Kagome's reply. 'She doesn't want to go with them? Why? Why wouldn't she want to be with her own people, her own kind?' His eyes narrowed as he stared down at the girl who occupied his thoughts.

When the old miko told her that she didn't have a choice and he saw the men grab her, he felt anger course through him and he started to growl as he dug his claws into the tree branch. He tried to rein in his anger, knowing that he should not get involved, that she belonged with her own people. But he lost his tenuous control when he heard Kagome's cries and smelled her scent spike with terror. Before he knew what he was doing he had leaped out of the tree towards the girl and her captors, and slammed their heads together, knocking them out and releasing her.

The first indication that any of those in the clearing had of his presence was a rustling in the leaves above them, followed by a blur of red and white. "Thunk."

Kagome stumbled as she was suddenly released. There was suddenly a wall of red and white in front of her and the men who had held her were lying crumpled on the ground at her feet. She was surprised yet relieved to recognize Inuyasha as her savior. "Inuyasha" she whispered. "You came back." He glanced at her once before turning his attention to the rest of the humans in the clearing. Kagome moved closer to him and clutched at the back of his haori as she peered around him at the gobsmacked miko and villagers.

Inuyasha kept himself between the girl and the humans pointing their weapons at them. He didn't understand his own reaction, he only knew he couldn't let them harm her. He was surprised at how right it felt to stand protectively in front of Kagome, like she belonged with him. "Oi baba" he called to the old miko. "I don't think she wants to go with you."

Kaede fixed him with a stony glare from her one eye. "Stand aside, Inuyasha. This does not concern you." He growled at her and stayed right where he was. Kaede sighed. "I am grateful to you for saving my life all of those years ago, and I am sorry that you were so unjustly punished. But I cannot allow you to leave with the girl and the jewel. Step aside and you may leave with your life."

Several of the men protested at this. "Kaede-sama, you can't mean that! We can't allow him to live. He'll come back and attack the village."

"Silence!" she told them. "Well, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha felt Kagome clutch tighter at his haori at the words from the old woman and the villagers. He also smelled the fear in her scent. Keeping his eyes trained on the humans, he quietly asked her "Oi wench. Do you want to go with them?" His ears caught her quiet "no." Eyes still trained on the humans to keep them from sneaking around to attack him from behind he asked her "Do you trust me?" He tensed as he waited for her answer.

Kagome didn't even have to think about it. He wasn't human but he hadn't done anything to harm her. Instead he had saved her life and was now giving her a choice. On the other hand the humans had hurt and threatened her, and demanded that she come with them, giving her no choice. Kagome quickly told him "I trust you." In her head she finished the thought 'completely.'

Inuyasha swallowed his shock at her reply. He had been half expecting her to fight him, after all who would trust a hanyou? He tensed his body further in preparation as he told her "Then hold on to me tightly." Once he felt her arms lift to firmly grip his shoulders he leaped straight up, and not a moment too soon as several arrows impacted the ground where he had been standing.

Kaede had sensed something and ordered the villagers "Stop them, don't let them escape." The men had released their arrows immediately but they were too late. Several managed to adjust their aim and fired up into the branches as they tried to hit the hanyou.

Inuyasha easily managed to avoid the arrows but continued to keep himself between them and Kagome. He didn't want to take a chance that one of the villagers would get a lucky shot and hit Kagome. Once they were high enough in the tree to be out of immediate danger, as the villagers would not be able to see them let alone hit them, he paused to adjust Kagome's position on his back. He pulled her higher so that he could comfortably grip her thighs and then launched himself through the trees away from the clearing.

He heard her gasp and then felt her grip tighten on his shoulders as he continued to leap from tree to tree. "Don't worry, I won't drop you" he told her. After a few minutes her grip loosened as she relaxed and looked around.

"Wow" she whispered as she took in the scenery flying past them. They were moving so fast, it was exhilarating. Kagome found herself relaxing and enjoying the ride. It was fun and she let a giggle escape her as she laid her head on his back.

Inuyasha just grinned when he heard her before he increased his speed as he searched for suitable shelter for the night as the sun would soon be setting.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings and a tornado occurs on the opposite side of the world. One difference causes a ripple effect, changing everything. What difference can a small change make? What if Inuyasha didn't arrive at Kikyou's village for several weeks? What difference would a little bit of time make? What if he arrived in time to save Kaede from the demons but was mistakenly blamed by Kikyou? What if he never heard of the Shikon no Tama, never had any type of relationship with Kikyou? How would this affect his meeting with Kagome?

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. I am more likely to update quickly when I am inspired by reviews, otherwise I might lose interest and take a while to post the next chapter. I'm not saying that I won't post if I don't get a certain number of reviews, just that I write faster when I am inspired.

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They traveled for a long while, and as sunset approached Inuyasha eventually spotted an old dilapidated hut. It had obviously been abandoned for some time and was far enough from the village that they would not have to worry about anybody stumbling across them. He hopped down from the trees to land in front of it before reluctantly letting Kagome slide off of his back.

Kagome lifted her head from his back as she felt him land on the ground and stop moving. Feeling his grip on her legs begin to relax, she allowed herself to slide off of his back and took a step away. She immediately missed the warmth of his body and shivered a little.

Inuyasha noticed her shiver and said "Come on" as he entered the hut. The inside of the hut looked to be in decent condition, merely dusty from lack of use and in need of a good cleaning. Using the last of the light from the setting sun he grabbed a few rotting furs to use as a makeshift broom and quickly swept the dust and debris out of the hut. That taken care of, he made sure that the fire pit in the center of the hut was clean and ready for use. He knew how cold it could get at night in this region. Inuyasha glanced up to see Kagome hovering in the doorway, curiously looking around the hut. "Oi wench" he called. "Are you coming inside or not?"

Kagome blushed at his question but entered. She glanced at him and said "My name is Kagome, not wench." He raised an eyebrow at her tone of voice. 'She's feisty, gotta give her that.' "Is this your house?" she asked suddenly.

He snorted. "Keh. No it probably belonged to one of the woodcutters. That or a hermit. We're far enough away from the village that we shouldn't have to worry about any searchers finding us."

Kagome looked back around the hut before facing him again. "But we're trespassing. What if the owner comes back?"

"Keh. Don't make me laugh. Whoever lived here is long gone. They either died or moved to the village as they got too old to handle the workload by themselves. This place hasn't been occupied for years." He stood suddenly. "Wait here, I'm going to get wood for the fire."

Kagome fidgeted nervously as she looked around the hut. "Wait here, he says. Where does he think I'm going to go?" The sun had set completely a few minutes after he left, leaving Kagome to sit there in the dark. "I couldn't see where I was going even if I did decide to leave." She muttered to herself.

Inuyasha returned a few minutes later with a large pile of wood. His enhanced eyesight had easily allowed him to see where he was going in the dark with only the light provided by the moon. He placed the wood in a pile against the wall and then quickly started a fire in the fire pit. "There, that should last for the rest of the night." He turned to look at Kagome. "So why didn't you want to go with the other humans?" he asked suddenly. "Why would you rather go with a hanyou then with your own kind?"

'There's that word again. Hanyou. What exactly is a hanyou?' Kagome wondered as she thought about what to say. She decided to just tell him the truth. "Because I trust you more than I do them. You have not given me a reason to fear or distrust you, unlike those villagers."

"Keh! I'm a hanyou. That right there is reason enough for most humans to fear and distrust me. And how do you know that I'm not just trying to get the jewel from you?" He asked as he wondered at this strange girl who showed not the slightest bit of fear at being alone with him.

"I don't care if you are a hanyou" 'whatever that is' she told him. "You protected me from that youkai, haven't tried to hurt me even though you've had plenty of opportunities, and unlike the villagers you gave me a choice. And if you were really after the jewel, you have had plenty of opportunities to take it from me. It's not like I could stop you if you tried to take it. And, I don't know, I just feel like I can trust you." She blushed as she said that last bit and looked away.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha sat there in shock at her words. 'She really trusts **me**?' His eyes softened as he continued to stare at her. 'No one has **ever** trusted me before. Who is this girl? Why do I feel so drawn to her? Does she feel it too, this connection?'

A sudden noise caught his attention and he looked up as Kagome's stomach gave another growl. She blushed and covered it with her hands as if to quiet it. "Sorry, I guess I'm a bit hungry." Her stomach gave an even louder growl as if in agreement and her blush grew.

Inuyasha felt his own stomach grumble in response. "Keh. You're not the only one. Wait here and I'll be back with something to eat." She nodded her agreement and Inuyasha was shown another sign of the depth of her trust. 'What did I do to earn her trust in so little time?' he wondered. As he exited the hut he grabbed a couple of jugs that had been near the wall so that he could bring water back as well.

While he was gone Kagome explored around the hut. She felt odd, going through someone's home but she found that Inuyasha was correct, the place was abandoned. The only objects still present were a couple of old, cracked plates. She couldn't even find an old blanket. She settled for smoothing out the dirt floor beside the fire so that they would be able to sit comfortably. Then she settled in to wait for Inuyasha to return. She didn't have to wait long.

True to his word, Inuyasha returned a short while later. He brought with him a rabbit and several fish. They were already cleaned and ready to be cooked. Kagome found herself grateful for that, she didn't know if she would have been able to eat if she had seen them before they were prepared. They set the food over the fire to cook.

Once the food was cooking and all they could do was wait, Inuyasha took one of the jugs of water and gestured for Kagome to move closer. "Here, wench. Let's have a look at that wound of yours. Don't want an infection to set in."

"I told you, my name is Kagome. KA-GO-ME." She told him though she did move closer.

"Keh." Was his only reply as he examined the damage to her side. He tore a small piece of cloth from the sleeve of his haori and soaked it in the water before using it to clean the cut. The wound wasn't very deep and appeared to have already stopped bleeding.

Kagome blushed at his actions and nearness. "Thank you" she told him as he worked. "You didn't have to ruin your clothes though."

He snorted. "Don't worry about it. It's made from the fur of the Fire Rat. It'll repair itself." He continued his task. Once that wound was taken care of he started tending to the smaller scratches on her arms and legs.

"Oh" she replied. Seeing what he was doing she told him "You don't have to do that. I'm sure I'll be fine."

However, he was in no hurry to give up the closeness to her that his actions gave him. "Keh! If these aren't taken care of they could get infected. You think I want to be stuck lugging you around and taking care of you if that happens."

"Oh. I'm sorry to be such a burden" she said as she looked away, tears pooling in her eyes.

He kicked himself for his words when he heard the tone of her voice. As the scent of her unshed tears hit him he panicked. "Oi, don't cry wench. I didn't mean it like that. I just mean that you humans are weak and get hurt so easily. Don't cry."

Seeing the barely concealed panic on his face and hearing the apologetic tone of voice, Kagome calmed down. She laughed as she thought 'Look at the big tough guy. He can slay youkai and act tough but the thought of a woman crying sends him into a panic.' "I'm not crying. And stop calling me wench."

He calmed down at that. "Keh. Looks like the food's done" he said as his nose relayed that fact to him. Removing the food from the fire, he distributed it equally between them using the plates that Kagome had found earlier. They sat and ate, easily polishing off the food between the two of them. Kagome hadn't eaten since breakfast that day and Inuyasha's last meal had been fifty years ago, so it was no wonder that they were both so hungry.

Once they were finished they sat there in silence, simply enjoying one another's company. Kagome fidgeted a bit as she glanced at him. "Hey Inuyasha?" He turned his head to look at her. "I was wondering, what did you mean about you being a hanyou? What exactly is a hanyou, and why would it be a reason to distrust you?"

His eyes widened at her question. 'Is she serious? How does she not know what a hanyou is? It's just a trick, she's trying to mock me. I knew this was too good to be true.' He bristled and became defensive. "Keh! Don't act like you don't know what a hanyou is. You're just like all the others, trying to mock me. This was all an act, wasn't it? You were just pretending to be nice, hoping I would reveal something to you and then you were going to use it to make a fool out of me. Well you can forget it. I'm nobody's fool." With that he stood and started to storm out of the hut.

Kagome's eyes widened at his outburst. 'What did I say?' As he made to leave, she panicked. "Wait Inuyasha, please! Don't go. I'm sorry, whatever I said or did I'm sorry. I'm not trying to make a fool out of you, I swear. I really don't know what a hanyou is. I'm sorry for asking something that is obviously so personal, you don't have to answer. Just please, please don't leave." Tears were leaking out of her eyes as she pleaded with him.

Inuyasha had paused in the doorway. 'She-she really means it. She really doesn't know?' The scent of her tears reached him and he turned around. "D-don't cry. I won't leave, alright. So stop your crying already."

At his gruff command for her to stop crying she looked up to see him moving back inside. Wiping at her eyes, she offered him a small smile. "I really am sorry Inuyasha. I didn't mean to ask something that's obviously so personal."

"Keh. Not really that personal. It's kind of obvious what I am." Seeing her look of confusion, he flicked his ears in her direction. Her eyes caught the movement and she stared at them. "See? The ears should make it obvious."

Kagome stared at his ears and fought the urge to touch them. 'No, it was one thing when he was sleeping and didn't know. I can't just go around touching someone's ears without permission. I wonder if he would let me...' She shook her head to clear it and turned back to Inuyasha. "I still don't understand. I know that they aren't human but I know that you're not human. So what does it mean?"

'She really doesn't understand' he thought as he saw the genuine look of confusion on her face. "Keh. They mark me as a hanyou. I'm part youkai and part human, belonging to neither. Humans hate me for my youkai heritage and youkai hate me for my human heritage."

"But that's stupid. You can't help who your parents are." She told him. She blushed. "And as for your ears, I actually think that they're kind of cute."

His eyes widened at her continued acceptance of him, even now that she knew the truth of what he was. 'She accepts me as I am. It doesn't bother her at all. No one has ever accepted me before, not since Mother.' Then the rest of her words reached him and he blushed. "Oi! My ears are not **cute**." He told her loudly, eliciting a giggle from her.

Now that the tension between them had dissolved they resat themselves by the fire. Inuyasha turned to her and asked "How come you didn't know what a hanyou is? And your clothes are strange, I don't think clothing could have changed that much in fifty years. Where are you from?"

It was now Kagome's turn to be unsettled by a question. She sighed. "I'm not from here. Where I come from there aren't any youkai or hanyou or miko. They are just stories, legends. I live with my family at our shrine. This morning while I was looking for my cat in the old well house, Mistress Centipede burst out of the well and grabbed me, dragging me through the well. I found myself at the bottom of the well but when I climbed out the shrine and everything was gone. Everything here is so different from what I'm used to. There are real youkai and monsters and the people aren't much better. They would kill someone just for dressing differently. I just want to go home." As she had spoken she had started to cry and by the time she had finished she was sobbing into her hands.

Inuyasha was now really nervous and moved closer. "D-don't cry. What is it with you that you keep crying?" His words only made her cry more. Awkwardly patting her back he told her "Please stop crying. I'll help you find a way home, Kagome, I promise." This had a better effect on her as she raised her head from her hands to look at him.

"D-do you mean it?" she asked.

"Keh. I said it didn't I? I'll help you find your way home. Now will you stop crying?"

Kagome gave him a watery smile as she wiped at her face with her hands. "Thank you Inuyasha."

"Keh." But he blushed as he looked away.

Kagome gave him another smile before suddenly yawning. "Oh. It's been a long day. I guess we should get some sleep." She started to lay down by the fire but paused when Inuyasha moved to sit against the wall. "Inuyasha?" she asked.

"You go to sleep. I'll be fine. I don't need as much sleep as you weak humans. Besides I've been sleeping for fifty years, haven't I?" He received a smile in return for his words. He watched as she quickly fell asleep, exhausted from the events of the day. He continued to sit against the wall, occasionally dozing but alert for signs of danger. He would periodically wake to add wood to the fire.

A few hours later Inuyasha opened his eyes looking for the source of the sound that had disturbed him. His eyes landed on Kagome as she made another sound, her body shivering in the cold air despite being near to the fire. With a sigh and a low comment about "weak humans" he got up and removed his haori before moving over to her. Gently covering her with the haori, he paused to breathe in her scent and was surprised when she suddenly grabbed his right hand. He tugged his arm, trying to break her grip but she just held on tighter. "Oi wench, let go of my hand." She merely frowned in her sleep and rolled over to put her back to him, unknowingly pulling him with her as she held his arm against her chest. Inuyasha had to put his other hand out to stop himself from falling on top of her.

He crouched there staring at her and tried to find a way out of his predicament. He couldn't think of a way to free himself without either waking or hurting her. He didn't want to deal with the embarrassment they would face if he woke her so he decided to remain where he was for the moment, believing that she would eventually release him. He stared at her face, admiring the way the firelight reflected off of her hair. His eyes softened and he used his free hand to brush a stray lock of hair from her face. Trying to get comfortable, he laid down on his side next to her with his right arm draped over her body as she still clutched it to herself. A short while later he joined her in slumber.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings and a tornado occurs on the opposite side of the world. One difference causes a ripple effect, changing everything. What difference can a small change make? What if Inuyasha didn't arrive at Kikyou's village for several weeks? What difference would a little bit of time make? What if he arrived in time to save Kaede from the demons but was mistakenly blamed by Kikyou? What if he never heard of the Shikon no Tama, never had any type of relationship with Kikyou? How would this affect his meeting with Kagome?

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. I am more likely to update quickly when I am inspired by reviews, otherwise I might lose interest and take a while to post the next chapter. I'm not saying that I won't post if I don't get a certain number of reviews, just that I write faster when I am inspired.

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Kagome slowly woke up. She felt warm and content. Opening her eyes she took in her surroundings and gave a start. 'This isn't my room. Where am I?' Her memories of the previous day filtered into her head. 'That's right. I'm in the hut with Inuyasha. Wait where is Inuyasha?' The hanyou was no longer seated against the wall as he had been the night before. That was when Kagome became aware of something warm resting against her back and a weight on her chest. Glancing down she saw her arms were wrapped around a white clad arm, the clawed hand of which was resting on her breast.

At the same time, Inuyasha also stirred as his sensitive ears alerted him to the fact that she had awoken. Not yet opening his eyes he thought 'I fell asleep?' He was surprised to find that he was well rested, he couldn't remember the last time he had slept so deeply and peacefully. He noticed that his hand was wrapped around something soft and warm and he gave it an experimental squeeze to determine what it was. He jerked completely awake and shot up from his position on the floor as the girl in front of him gave a loud scream.

"PERVERT!" Kagome shrieked as she felt him squeeze her breast. As she felt him release her and move away, she scooted herself back from him with a furious blush on her face. 'He's no better than those villagers' she thought angrily as she tried to put some space between them.

Inuyasha was looking around for what had made her scream like that when what she said actually filtered into his brain and he turned to look at her. "Oi, who are you calling a pervert?"

"Who do you think, baka? You were groping me. You had your hand on my chest," She accused him harshly. Looking at him she noticed something different about his appearance but ignored it as she confronted him with righteous feminine fury.

"What the hell are you talking about? I didn't grope you." Inuyasha yelled back confused and oddly hurt at her accusation.

"Then how did your hand end up on my chest? You were just trying to take advantage of me, just like those villagers! You're no better than them!"

Inuyasha instantly became defensive. "Keh! You're the one who grabbed me! Why would I want to touch **you**? You've got nothing I want. I don't have to stay here and listen to this." He started to storm out.

Kagome watched him start to leave. 'Good, let the jerk leave' she thought. 'I don't need a pervert like him.' She started to cross her arms over her chest and frowned when she felt something shift on her lap. She looked down and saw Inuyasha's red haori draped over her waist. 'His haori? That's what looked different. Why do I have it?' She recalled Inuyasha's words about her grabbing him. 'He must have covered me with it to keep me warm and then I grabbed his arm. I've got to stop him.'

She got up and rushed out of the hut. "Inuyasha!" she called as she ran out the door. "Inuyasha wait, please." She spotted him as he prepared to jump into the trees and put on a burst of speed, grabbing his hand before he could leave. "Inuyasha, please wait. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have accused you like that. I should have listened to you before I jumped to conclusions. Please forgive me. Please don't go." She was afraid of what would happen if he decided to ignore her and leave anyway. What would she do if he left her here alone? He wasn't saying anything, just standing there. "Please Inuyasha" she pleaded.

Inuyasha stood there in shock. 'She's holding my hand? She's willingly touching me?' Listening to her words, his shock only further increased. 'She's apologizing? Nobody's ever apologized to me, for anything. She wants me to stay?' He turned his head to look at her and she started to speak taking his look as a sign that he would listen before he did anything.

"You were only trying to keep me warm, weren't you? You covered me with your haori?" she asked. At his nod she continued. "Thank you, and I really am sorry for jumping to conclusions. You said that I grabbed you, was that when you were covering me with your haori?" He nodded again. "Please forgive me Inuyasha. I should have known that you wouldn't do something like that. I know that you're nothing like those villagers. Please don't go."

Inuyasha looked at her and said "Keh." But he moved back towards the hut. Something she had said niggled at the back of his mind and he asked her "What did you mean about the villagers? That I'm nothing like them?" He would have thought that would be a bad thing but she seemed to really dislike the villagers for some reason. And hadn't she accused him of 'being no better than the villagers' when she thought he had groped her.

Kagome froze at his question, not sure about how to respond. She just stared at him as she thought about what had occurred the previous day and felt tears well up in her eyes.

"H-hey. What's wrong? Don't start crying again" he told her while he wondered what had caused her reaction. 'It happened when I brought up the villagers' he thought. 'Did they hurt her somehow? I'll kill them if they did.' That thought brought him up short. 'Since when do I care so much?'

Kagome saw the concern on his face and decided to tell him the truth. "Some of the men from the village captured me after I climbed out of the well. Some of them thought that I was a youkai because I was dressed differently. They wanted to kill me then but decided to bring me to Kaede-sama and let her decide. But on the way they started talking about whether I really was a youkai or not. One of them said I might just be a whore and he groped me. Then they started arguing about whether I was a youkai or a whore. They decided to bring me to Kaede and let her decide if I was a youkai. They said that if Kaede thought I was a youkai they would k-kill me but if she said I was human, they were going to r-rape me. That's when I decided to take my chances in the forest and ran for it." She started crying again as she finished. "That's why I was upset when I thought you had groped me. I thought you were like them but I should have known better. I'm sorry for doubting you, please forgive me."

Inuyasha felt rage well up inside him at her words. 'How dare they!' he thought, growling low. He patted the girl on her back to soothe her. "It's alright wench. I understand. I'm sorry for yelling at you. Please don't cry." She wiped her face at his words that showed his forgiveness and understanding and smiled at him. He felt himself give her a small smile in return which only made her smile wider.

Inuyasha suddenly tensed as his senses started screaming at him. He grabbed Kagome and shoved her behind his back as he turned to face the forest. "Inuyasha, what is it?" he heard her ask as she moved closer to him.

"Stay behind me" he told her as several low level snake youkai came pouring out of the forest. "What do you weaklings want? Leave before I shred you." he called as he cracked his knuckles and prepared for a fight.

"Big talk from a ssstinking hanyou. Give usss the jewel and we'll make your deathsss painlessss" they hissed as they drew closer.

"Keh! I don't thinks so weaklings. Sankon Tessou!" Inuyasha easily took care of the three in front of him with a few well placed claw strikes. A sudden scream from Kagome drew his attention and he turned to see a fourth youkai had circled around and reared up ready to strike. Inuyasha leaped up and struck it down before it could harm her but ended up drenching her in it's guts in the process.

"Eww" she cried in disgust. "Was that the last of them?"

Inuyasha sniffed and twitched his ears but detected no other youkai in the vicinity. "Yeah." He gave her a quick once over to reassure himself that she was unharmed.

"Good. I don't suppose that there is somewhere nearby I can wash up? I really need a bath after that." She said as she looked down at herself.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose as he looked her over. "There's a stream over this way. Come on, you stink." And he started leading her to the nearby stream.

"And who's fault is that?" she asked him. His only response was a "Keh."

Upon reaching the stream Kagome paused and looked around. "Wow, it's so beautiful" she said as she took in the picturesque scene. There was a small waterfall flowing down a hill into the stream and there were plenty of wildflowers growing alongside the stream.

"Keh. If you say so. Would you hurry up and wash already" he told her as he glanced around the clearing. Something was putting him on edge but he didn't know what.

"I'm going." She started to lift her shirt as she approached the stream but stopped and told him "Turn around." Grumbling, he did so. "And no peeking."

He spluttered at that. "Keh! I'm no pervert. And why would I want to look at you anyway?" he said with a blush on his face.

Kagome felt herself start to get angry at his words but then spotted his blush and realized that he was just being defensive over what she had implied. Remembering their earlier argument she told him "I know you're not a pervert, I'm just not used to bathing in front of anyone. Please don't turn around." He nodded his head to acknowledge her and she stripped out of her clothes as she approached the stream. She quickly washed her clothes before laying them on some nearby rocks to dry and then entered the stream to bathe.

"BRRR! That's cold" she said as she started to wash the dirt and gore off of her. She resolved to make this a fast bath. As she washed her hair she commented "I wish I had my soap and shampoo. My hair feels so disgusting." She settled for dunking herself under the water and washing herself as best as she could with only water.

Inuyasha continued to sit on the bank of the stream with his back to the water. His ears kept flicking in her direction as he heard her splashing behind him and he found himself hard pressed to not turn around. 'Why am I acting like this? What is it about this girl that draws me? I don't need her. I don't care about her or what she looks like. I don't need to see her soft, creamy skin. Gah, stop that' he told himself with a blush as he imagined what she looked like behind him.

He stiffened suddenly as his earlier bad feeling returned. He sensed youki in the nearby vicinity and rose to his feet as he looked around for what he was sensing. He turned quickly and grabbed Kagome, causing her to give a small scream in surprise as he dragged her out of the water.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" she asked as he leaped out of the stream and onto the shore. He removed his haori and draped it over her as he turned back to face the water. She turned in time to see a water serpent youkai burst out of the water but Inuyasha easily dispatched it with a "Sankon Tessou."

"Keh, another weakling." He turned to face Kagome but stopped as he caught sight of her. Blushing he turned his back to her.

Kagome blinked at his actions. 'What was that about?' she wondered. Glancing down at herself, she felt a blush rise on her own face. His haori was draped over her but the front was open and displaying her breasts. She quickly grabbed the material to wrap it tighter around her body and then held it shut. She then went to where she had left her own clothes, and looking back to see that Inuyasha still had his back to her, quickly changed into her own clothing. Turning back to Inuyasha she handed him his haori and said "Thank you."

"Keh." Was all he said as he accepted it before he went to the stream and caught several fish for them to eat. He quickly cleaned his catches while Kagome kept her back turned and then washed his hands and face. Once that was done he led the way back to the old hut.

They reached the hut after being attacked twice more by low level youkai. Kagome could tell that the attacks were starting to get on Inuyasha's nerves as he was becoming more irritable after each one. She kept quiet as she knew that they were attracted by the power of the Shikon no Tama and she didn't know what to tell Inuyasha. Once they were safely back inside the hut they quickly cooked and ate the fish that Inuyasha had caught.

They had just finished eating when Inuyasha's ears began to twitch at some noise and he stopped to sniff the air. "Damn it, where do these fucking weaklings keep coming from." He turned to look at Kagome. "Stay here, don't go outside." He ordered her before swiftly exiting the hut.

Kagome waited only a moment before getting up and going to the door. She heeded his warning and didn't exit the hut, instead she peered out of the doorway to see what was happening. Inuyasha stood a few feet from the hut surrounded by various types of lower youkai. She let out a gasp as she saw them swarm to attack him but Inuyasha was ready. Claws flashing, he swiftly tore through their ranks. But for every one that he defeated another one was waiting to take it's place and Kagome felt her heart sink with despair. 'I wish there was something I could do, some way I could help him. After all, it's my fault they keep attacking.' She thought as she fingered the Shikon no Tama in her pocket. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't notice that a few of the youkai had managed to edge around Inuyasha and were headed straight for the hut.

But Inuyasha did. "No you don't!" he yelled as he jumped away from the youkai he had been fighting to leap at the ones trying to reach the hut. He tore through them quickly but his actions had left his back exposed to the youkai he had been fighting previously and they took advantage of it. "Argh!" he yelled as one youkai sank claws into his unprotected back before another sent him flying into a tree.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome cried at seeing him hurt as she instinctively stepped forward to rush to his side. This drew the attention of the youkai and they turned their attention to her. They made to rush at her but then Inuyasha was there.

"Hijin Kessou" he cried as he coated his claws in his own blood before flinging them forward to toss energy blades at the youkai. "Get back inside!" he told Kagome and watched as she obeyed. "You weaklings want the jewel, you gotta go through me. And you weaklings will never get past me." He told the assembled youkai before renewing his attack. A few minutes later and it was over. He stood in front of the hut observing the destruction around him. A sound behind him caught his attention and he turned to see Kagome hesitantly exit the hut.

Once the fight appeared to be over Kagome went to the door of the hut. She hesitated but when she saw Inuyasha turn to look at her without telling her to get back inside she exited the hut and hurried to his side. "Inuyasha!" she cried upon seeing the blood on his back. "You're hurt." She raised a hand as though to touch the wound but he jerked away from her.

"Keh. It's just a scratch. It would take more than a bunch of weaklings like that to hurt me." He told her. Seeing her expression fall he told her "I'm fine. I just wish these weaklings would stop attacking. What the hell do they keep coming after us for? You'd think they would have learned better than to attack me by now."

Kagome bit her lip at the question. "It's my fault. They're attracted by the power of the Shikon no Tama. They're just going to keep coming and trying to get it."

"Let them try. I'll just defeat them like I have these." Inuyasha told her. He led her back into the hut, away from the destruction and dead youkai.

Kagome lowered her face to stare at the floor. "Maybe Kaede-sama was right. Maybe I should just go to the village after all."

Inuyasha jerked his head around to stare at her at her words. "What?! Why would you want to do a thing like that? Don't you trust me to protect you?" He asked her, hurt by her apparent lack of faith in him.

She shook her head. "It's not that. I trust you and I know you would do everything you could to protect me. But you've already been hurt once." He interrupted her with a disbelieving "Keh!" that she ignored as she continued. "I don't want you to get hurt. The youkai are getting stronger and are now attacking in groups. I'm just afraid that you will be seriously hurt or worse."

"Keh! How weak do you think I am, if you think a bunch of weaklings like that would be able to hurt me. I'll continue to beat those weaklings, easily."

But Kagome was still upset and tried to get him to understand. "I don't believe you are weak. But what happens when something stronger then these youkai is attracted by the jewel and attacks?"

"Then I'll just defeat it like I did these" Inuyasha said pridefully.

Kagome shook her head. "As strong as you are, eventually something stronger than you will come after it. Maybe if I return to the village Kaede-sama will have some idea of a way to protect the jewel." She saw the stubborn look on his face and went on. "If we stay out here we will only continue to be attacked. The number of attacks will just continue to grow and the youkai will become stronger as time goes on. And you will eventually tire, then what will happen after non-stop fighting? You know I'm right Inuyasha. The youkai will just keep coming after this jewel" she said as she took it out of her pocket to make her point.

Inuyasha had listened to her argument but stubbornly refused to believe it. He kept telling himself that he would defeat anything that showed up to attack them. But when she took the jewel out and his eyes fell on it all of his thoughts flew right out of his head. He stared at the jewel as he felt a strange pull on his youki. He couldn't take his eyes off of it and his thoughts from the previous day of using it to become a full youkai returned.

Kagome began to get nervous when he didn't say anything for awhile. Looking up from the jewel in her hands, she spotted the strange look on his face as he too stared at it. "Inuyasha?" she called. Something about the look on his face was putting her on edge.

"Give it to me" he said suddenly.

"What?" she asked, confused.

He continued to stare at the jewel in her hands. "The Shikon no Tama. Give it to me."

'Why does he want the jewel all of a sudden? What's going on?' Kagome was really confused. "Why?"

"I can use the jewel to become a full youkai. Then nobody will be able to defeat me. You won't have to worry about those weaklings attacking and I'll finally have the strength and respect that I've fought my whole life for." He took a step closer to her.

'He wants to use the jewel? But Kaede-sama said it would be bad to let a youkai gain possession of the Shikon no Tama. I know that Inuyasha is a good person but this just seems wrong.' "Why should you have to change what you are? I like you just the way you are, you don't need to use the jewel" she told him.

He gave a bitter laugh. "Keh! I told you I'm a hanyou. I'm part of both worlds, youkai and human, but belong to neither. If I use the Shikon no Tama to become a full youkai I will finally gain the respect and power I deserve, and I'll finally belong. And I'll be strong, strong enough to defeat anyone. Now give me the jewel." He took another step closer to her, never taking his gaze off of the jewel.

Kagome stepped back as he approached. "No" she told him but he just came closer. For every step he took forward she stepped back. The look on his face was starting to scare her, it was like he was suddenly a different person. She suddenly found herself forced to stop as she found her back against the wall of the hut. She gulped nervously and wondered what she should do now. "I'm not going to give you the jewel Inuyasha" she told him.

He suddenly snarled, making her jump as he slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her body, trapping her. "Give it to me, Bitch" he growled out.

"No!" Thinking fast, she dropped the jewel down her shirt so that it nestled between her breasts. It had occurred to her that if she got the jewel out of sight he might snap out of it. "I won't."

"Like that's gonna stop me" he said at her actions as he leaned closer to her. She turned her head to the side, unknowingly baring her neck to him and calling to his inu instincts. 'She's submitting?' he thought. Her scent drifted to him then, calling to him. He pressed his body up against hers and leaned his head down next to her neck. He could still feel the pull of the jewel but the pull of her scent and his instincts were starting to override it. He lowered his head further, burying it in her neck and breathing deeply. The fear that had crept into her scent reached him and he growled low as he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her slightly as he pulled her to him.

Kagome had felt fear rise up in her when he pressed her against the wall. But when he buried his face in her neck and then wrapped his arms around her waist she somehow knew that he had snapped out of the hold that the jewel had on him and started to relax. She gasped when she felt something warm and wet on her neck. Her neck tingled where it touched and she felt a knot of excitement start to grow in her belly. She'd never felt anything like this before and it both scared and thrilled her.

Once Inuyasha felt her start to relax against him he let his instincts take over. His face was still buried in her neck and he opened his mouth to allow his tongue to slip out and taste her. 'This is heaven' he thought. "You smell **so good**" he growled out gruffly as the scent of her arousal hit him, and took another swipe with his tongue. "**Taste so good**." He continued to hold her to him.

At his words and actions, Kagome felt herself flush with embarrassment. She felt him lift her and pull her closer to him. She stiffened when she felt something hard press into her thigh. Her thoughts flashed back to the village men and she reacted. "H-hey" she cried and shoved at his chest to push him away.

When he felt her shove him he immediately released her and stepped back, eyes full of pain at her rejection staring down at her. 'Of course' he thought. 'Of course she'd reject me. I probably disgust her. Who would want to touch a filthy hanyou?' he thought bitterly at what he perceived to be her rejection. So he did what he always did to hide his pain. He lashed out with angry words.

"Keh! Bitch! Like I'd want to touch you anyway. I was just trying to get the jewel. Who'd want someone like you anyway?"

Kagome was still feeling embarrassed at his earlier actions, though a part of her had felt a thrill and liked them, when she heard him say that. Glaring up at him she yelled "You jerk! How can you say something like that to me. I'm not going to give you the jewel, so you can forget it. If that's all you want then I don't need you."

"Keh! Fine, let's see how long you last on your own. I'm out of here!" And he stormed out of the hut, immediately launching himself into the trees and bounding away.

Kagome sat in the hut by herself with tears in her eyes. 'That jerk. How could he say no one would want me?' She recalled his earlier actions and blushed. 'He certainly seemed to want me then. Was it really all an act to get the jewel? I thought he was my friend.' She remembered his words about never belonging and then thought of the look on his face when she pushed him away. 'He looked so hurt when I pushed him away. Did he think I was disgusted and that's why I pushed him away? That I was rejecting him? Is that why he reacted like that?' She looked around the hut and felt lonely, suddenly missing his presence.

Kagome got up and ran from the hut but didn't see Inuyasha anywhere. "Inuyasha!" she called. "Inuyasha, please come back. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! I do need you! Please come back! Inuyasha!" But there was no sign of the red clad hanyou. Kagome sank to her knees and began to cry. "What am I going to do now?" she wondered. She had driven off the one person she trusted in this strange world and was now alone.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings and a tornado occurs on the opposite side of the world. One difference causes a ripple effect, changing everything. What difference can a small change make? What if Inuyasha didn't arrive at Kikyou's village for several weeks? What difference would a little bit of time make? What if he arrived in time to save Kaede from the demons but was mistakenly blamed by Kikyou? What if he never heard of the Shikon no Tama, never had any type of relationship with Kikyou? How would this affect his meeting with Kagome?

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. I am more likely to update quickly when I am inspired by reviews, otherwise I might lose interest and take a while to post the next chapter. I'm not saying that I won't post if I don't get a certain number of reviews, just that I write faster when I am inspired.

Warning: This chapter contains groping and attempted rape. Don't read if that bothers you. There is a reason for the rating on this story.

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After a short time had passed Kagome sat up and dried her tears. "I guess he's not coming back" she said sadly. "I can't stay here by myself, and sitting around crying isn't going to help anything. I guess I'd better try to find a way home. If I can find the well maybe I can use it to get home. If not I can always head to that village. Kaede-sama would probably be happy to see me." That idea didn't really sit too well with her, but she knew she had no other choice. With that settled, she set her face into a determined mask and set out into the forest. 'At least this time I have an idea of which way to go' she thought as she remembered which direction Inuyasha had brought them from the previous day.

The sun was high in the sky and Kagome judged it to be a little past midday when she spotted the Goshinboku in the distance. Glad for a familiar landmark, she quickened her pace and soon found herself in the clearing. She paused as she looked around but it appeared that none of the villagers were nearby. She looked around to get her bearings, and then proceeded in the direction of the old well.

"There it is" she said as she spotted it. She moved to approach when a noise in the foliage around her caught her attention and she spun around. "Who's there?" she asked nervously as she tried to see what had caused the sound. She didn't see anyone but had a bad feeling. "Inuyasha, is that you?" she called, hoping that the hanyou had come after her. She received no reply.

Becoming frightened, she began to back up towards the well, hoping she could reach it before whatever was out there reached her. She had only gone a few steps when there was a rustling in the bushes beside her and several men shot out to grab her. "AAHH!" she screamed as she struggled against them but there were too many and she found herself quickly subdued.

One of them asked "Is this her?"

Another replied "Must be. See them strange clothes she has on?"

"Then let's go. The boss is waiting" another said. One man held her by each arm as they forced her to march through the forest with the other two taking up positions in front and behind. Kagome wondered what she had gotten herself into now. At first she thought that they must be men from the village but then she realized that their clothing was different from that of the simple villagers. They were filthy and stunk but wore armor and carried weapons. After a few minutes of walking she realized that they weren't heading in the direction of the village and she felt her fear increase. 'If they were taking me to the village at least I'd have Kaede-sama. But I don't think that they are from the village after all.' She got no response to any questions she asked, only a harsh "Quiet or we'll gag you!" She kept her mouth shut after taking a look at them and deciding that she didn't want anything they carried to be placed in her mouth.

A short while later they came to what appeared to be an old abandoned shrine. There were a few horses tied up outside but they walked right past them and entered the building. Kagome found herself roughly thrown to the floor as the men looked around the building.

"Huh. Guess the boss isn't back yet. Wonder what he wanted with this girl anyway" one said as he tossed his weapons to the side.

"Don't know. But I can think of a few things I'd like to do with her" another replied with a leer at Kagome. Kagome felt herself shudder with disgust and fear at his look.

"Well, the boss only said he wanted her alive and in one piece, didn't he?" A third asked also looking at Kagome. "He didn't say we couldn't have some fun with her." Kagome tried to scoot away from the looks that were being directed at her only for her to crash into the legs of the last man.

"You're right boys. And ain't she a sweet little thing too. Bet we could have a lot of fun with her before the boss get's back." And he leaned down to grab her.

Kagome panicked and shot to her feet, looking around for a way out. She spotted a door and ran towards it but then she felt one of them fist his hand in her hair and she was jerked back painfully to the floor. "Now, now. It's not very nice to try to run away when we went to all the trouble of bringing you here. Hold her" the largest of the four said as he stood over her. Kagome felt the other three grasp her arms and legs as she struggled against them.

"Get off of me! Let me go!" she cried, afraid of what she knew was about to happen. She struggled but one had her arms pinned above her head while the other two each gripped a leg.

They laughed at her and she felt one roughly grab her breasts. "Now, now sweetheart. Just lie back like a good little whore and we'll all have some fun." The one still standing over her said as she saw him untie his hakama. He knelt down between her spread legs and grabbed her shirt, tearing it open as the buttons popped off and exposing her chest. He roughly pinched and twisted her breasts through her bra before lowering his hands to her skirt and lifting it. She felt him reach for her panties and instinctively cried out "INUYASHA!" though she knew he wasn't around and couldn't hear her.

There was a sudden crashing sound and then the man leaning over her was gone. She heard growling and snarling as the other men released her to grab their weapons. She struggled to sit up and was in time to see a red and white blur easily take care of the bandits with a few swipes of his claws.

A moment later and it was over. Kagome stared at Inuyasha standing there with his back to her, still growling with blood dripping off of his claws. 'He killed them' she thought as she tried not to look at the bodies. She was surprised to find that she didn't care, not after what they were about to do to her. Clutching the remains of her shirt to her chest, she rose to her feet as she continued to stare at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha stood there growling, feeling his blood course hotly through his veins as he stared at the remains of the bandits. 'Fucking bastards didn't deserve such a fast and painless death' he thought as he remembered the scene he had crashed in on. He had returned to the hut to find Kagome gone and had thought "good riddance" believing her to have gone back to the village. He had tried to ignore the empty feeling he felt when he realized that she had left but as time had gone by he had been plagued by thoughts of her being attacked by youkai for the jewel she carried. After trying to unsuccessfully ignore those thoughts, he had tracked her scent back to the Goshinboku. Upon reaching the tree's clearing, he had believed himself to be correct in his earlier assumptions but further sniffing had shown that she had not gone in the direction of the village.

Instead he followed her scent towards the old well but found that it stopped before she met it and was joined by several unwashed **male** scents. He had growled when he had detected fear in the remnants of her scent, and when he realized that these scents also didn't lead off into the village he had felt his concern increase. He had quickly tracked the scents to an old shrine and as he had gotten closer he had heard Kagome's cries and increased his pace. When he heard her scream his name in that terror filled tone as he reached the shrine, he had crashed right through the wall without stopping. The sight of Kagome, clothes torn and pinned to the ground by three men while a fourth leaned over with his hakama at his ankles had caused his blood to boil and Inuyasha had seen red. He had ripped the man off of Kagome, knocking his head clear off of his shoulders before turning to the other men and dispatching them with his claws. He could care less that he had just killed four men in cold blood. All he had thought about was that they had dared to touch **his** **bitch**.

Movement caught his attention and he turned to see that Kagome had risen to her feet, shirt clutched to her chest. He saw the uncertain look on her face and felt his ears droop as realization set in. 'I just killed four humans in front of her. Now she'll really hate me if she hadn't already.' He thought as he turned to gaze at his claws covered in blood. He refused to look at her as he prepared himself for the disgust and fear he was expecting. He found that he didn't regret killing the men, he couldn't after what they had done, but he did regret how it would change how Kagome felt about him.

Kagome continued to stare at him. 'He came for me? But did he come for me or the jewel?' she wondered. She saw him glance at her before he lowered his gaze to stare at his blood covered hands. She saw the look on his face as he gazed at his claws and suddenly knew he came for her and not the jewel. 'He killed those men. I should be afraid of him but I'm not. I know he only did it to protect me. He saved me, again.' With that thought she began to come out of her shock as the horror of what almost occurred hit her. With a sob she threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around the surprised hanyou's waist.

Inuyasha was startled when he felt her wrap her arms around him. 'She's hugging me?' But then he felt her body trembling against his and smelled the salt of her tears. "Oi, d-don't cry" he told her. But his words had no effect. He hesitantly wrapped his own arms around her and felt her grip on his waist tighten. "Ssh Kagome. It's alright. You're safe now, I'll protect you." He found himself wishing the bandits were alive so that he could kill them again. He forced that thought away as he continued to soothe the distraught girl in his arms. He felt her sobs start to quiet as she started to calm. Glancing around the shrine, he decided that this was not a sight that she should have to see again and picked her up before exiting through the hole he had made. He walked a short distance and then set her down in the grass. When he made to let go of her he felt her clutch at his haori and he looked down to see her staring at him with a desperate look upon her face.

When Kagome had felt him pick her up and carry her from the shrine she had relaxed in his grip. But when he set her down and she felt him start to move away she had been filled with a sudden fear that he was going to leave her again and had clutched at his haori. Seeing him look at her she cried "Don't go! Please don't leave me again! I'm sorry Inuyasha, please don't go." She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes again.

Inuyasha was shocked at the despair and pleading that filled her voice and scent. 'She wants me to stay? Why? Why isn't she disgusted by me? Why doesn't she hate me?' Seeing the tears that threatened to fall he told her "I'm not going anywhere" and was relieved when she began to calm.

At his reassurance that he would stay Kagome calmed down and loosened her grip on him. She glanced up at his face and was startled to see him staring at her with an odd look of confusion on his face. She realized that he might still be angry with her from their earlier argument. "Thank you for coming after me Inuyasha. I'm sorry for earlier. I was wrong to say that I don't need you. I do. Thank you for saving me again." She expected him to say something like "Damn right you do" and so was shocked by what he did say.

Inuyasha stared down at her. 'She apologized? She's thanking me?' He couldn't figure out why she didn't hate him. So he asked her. "Why are you being so nice?" She looked at him with confusion written on her face so he went on. "I tried to take the jewel from you before, yelled at you, abandoned you. And then I killed those men, ripped them open with my claws. They were human, not youkai. Why aren't you disgusted by me? Why don't you hate me?"

Kagome felt her gaze soften as she stared at him. "Because you saved me. I know you only did it to protect me. How can I hate you or be disgusted by you for doing something that saved me. And they may have been human but that doesn't mean that they weren't monsters. They were going to rape me. Who knows how many others they have raped or killed. They were bad people and I'm not sorry that they are dead. I'm not going to hate you for saving my life. I know that you would never hurt me, I trust you." She took a deep breath. "And as for earlier, I know that it wasn't really you. The jewel was affecting you, it made you act that way. And as for the yelling, I think we both said some things that we didn't mean. Can't we just agree to forgive and forget?" she asked him quietly.

He could only nod as he stared at her in amazement. But he was broken from his reverie by a voice intruding on them.

"Oh isn't this touching" a voice said as they looked up to see an abnormally large man standing across the clearing from them. "You two are so sweet you're making me sick."

"Who the fuck are you" Inuyasha snarled as he placed himself protectively in front of Kagome. There was something wrong about this guy, he smelled wrong, like death and rotting meat.

"Doesn't matter. Hand over the Shikon no Tama." He drew a large sword and pointed it at them.

"Keh! Not likely, bastard." Inuyasha said as he cracked his knuckles before lunging at the man. The bandit swung the sword and forced Inuyasha to leap back. "What the hell?! There's something wrong with this guy. He's swinging that sword around like he's drunk or something but I don't smell any alcohol, just the stench of rotting meat." He watched as the man stumbled through another swing and a suspicion began to form in his mind. The next time he swung the sword, Inuyasha slashed with his claws and broke it in half. "Keh! What'll you do now? Why don't you show yourself, you weakling?"

In response the bandit threw the remainder of the sword. Inuyasha didn't even have to dodge as it came no where near him but then he realized that he wasn't the target and threw himself backwards at Kagome, knocking her to the ground. Neither of them noticed when the Shikon no Tama fell from her torn shirt. "You alright?" he asked. At her nod, he told her "Move away from here. Go over by the horses where it's safer." He turned back to his opponent as she did what he said.

"Now you weakling, why don't you show yourself, crow youkai!" At Inuyasha's words there was movement on the bandit's chest, and his shirt fell open to reveal a hole in his chest. From her position near the trees Kagome saw a beaked head with three red eyes suddenly poke out of the hole and she had to stifle a scream. 'What is that?' Feeling nervous even though she trusted Inuyasha to protect her, she searched for a weapon. She saw the bow and arrows on the horse next to her and a strange feeling of deja vu occurred to her. She grabbed the bow and hesitantly placed an arrow on it, though she kept it pointed at the ground. 'What am I doing?' she wondered. 'I don't know how to shoot a bow and arrow.' But she had to admit that it felt right to hold it in her hands.

Inuyasha continued to taunt the youkai. "You must have been eating through that chest all night to make yourself a nice, cozy nest. What weaklings you carrion crows are. You're too weak to fight your own battles or even manipulate the living. You have to settle for manipulating dead bodies to get anything done." Inuyasha lunged forward with his fist drawn back. "Come out of that putrid mass of dead flesh and fight me!" he yelled as he drove his fist into the dead body.

With a caw, the crow youkai exited the body through a hole in it's back. As Inuyasha made to swipe at it with his claws, it suddenly circled around and dove to the ground before rising back into the air with something clutched in it's beak. "What the-? Damn it! It's got the Shikon no Tama!" Inuyasha shouted as he lunged at it. It rose higher into the air and swallowed the jewel. "Gotta stop it before it can get away. Sankon Tessou!" he called as he swiped his claws but missed as the crow flew higher still.

From her position on the ground Kagome watched as the crow youkai swallowed the jewel and began to transform, growing larger and uglier. 'No' she thought as she watched Inuyasha swipe at it and miss. 'I've got to stop it somehow. I can't let it get away with the jewel.' She saw the crow turn with it's talons raised as it began to dive at Inuyasha. 'I can't let it hurt him' she thought. Feeling the bow that she still held in her hands, she raised it and sighted the arrow at the crow as a feeling of calm came over her. She took aim and the arrow began to glow pink as she released it.

Inuyasha had dodged the crow's attack and was just preparing to leap after the it again when a glowing pink missile shot past him and took off the crow's wing, causing it to crash to the ground in a mass of feathers. He looked back to see Kagome lowering a bow, a look of confusion written across her face. She snapped out of it as she looked behind him and yelled "Inuyasha! The jewel is allowing it to regenerate. You've got to stop it before it heals and escapes!" He turned back around and quickly slashed at the crow youkai, severing it's head.

"Keh! That should slow it down a bit." He said as Kagome came running over. He tried not to stare at the way her torn shirt exposed her chest as she ran, covered only by the flimsy white binding on her chest. She knelt next to the corpse of the crow youkai and he asked "Oi what are you doing?"

"I've got to get the jewel before it can reconstitute itself" she told him. "The jewel's glow is coming from right here." And she indicated a spot on the body.

"Keh. Step back a little wench" he told her and then used his claws to slice open where she had indicated. Once that was done, she moved closer and reached inside to pull out the jewel. Once she had removed it, the youkai stopped moving and began to dissolve.

Kagome quickly ran over to the horses and grabbed a small pouch from one of the saddles before placing the jewel inside of it. Then she hung the pouch around her neck. "There" she said when she was finished. She looked down at herself and blushed as she saw how exposed she was. She then looked through the saddlebags for something to keep her shirt closed with. She figured that the bandits didn't need any of it any longer. She found a couple of long ribbons and tied them over her shirt to keep it closed. "There, at least I'm not flashing everyone now." She turned back to where Inuyasha was waiting and asked him "I don't suppose there is somewhere nearby I can take a bath is there? I feel disgusting and want to wash off the stench of those bandits." She shuddered as she remembered their hands on her body. She really wanted to scrub her skin to get the memory of their hands off of her.

"Yeah, the river's nearby. I'll take you there. You really stink" Inuyasha agreed. He didn't really want to go to the river as he felt it was too close to the village for comfort but the smell of the bandits on her body was making him want to tear something apart. He quickly pulled her onto his back as he took off in the direction of the river.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. The changes from canon will begin to really become visible in this chapter. Though none of you commented in your reviews for the last chapter about why the jewel didn't shatter. I was expecting at least one person to bring that up.

I am now nearing the end of my pre-written material. The story is completely outlined but I had a lot of it filled out on paper which is why I have been able to update so fast. So after the next couple of chapters it will take longer to update. Though I do hope to have at least two new chapters posted each week if not more, I most likely will not be posting every day.

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They reached the river quickly. Before Inuyasha set Kagome down he focused his senses on the surrounding area. He detected no danger, only the normal sounds of the forest and further down the stream he could hear the distant sounds of the village women washing their laundry. He carefully set Kagome down and turned his back. "Don't go too far from the shore" he warned her. "The current can get strong near the middle."

Kagome simply nodded as she began to remove her clothes. She looked at the sad state of her shirt and sighed. It was filthy and torn, covered in dirt and blood. She didn't think it would ever come completely clean. She also didn't know what she would do when she could no longer wear it as she didn't believe that her improvisation with the ribbons would work for very long. Leaving her clothes on some nearby rocks, she quickly entered the water, though she heeded Inuyasha's advice and stayed near the shore. The water was cold but she ignored it as she dunked herself under the water and began to rub at her body. As she washed she remembered the feeling of the bandits' hands on her body and she let a sob escape as she scrubbed harder at her body. 'Got to wash, got to get clean' she thought as she scrubbed harder and harder, trying to remove the dirty feeling of his hands touching her where no man had ever touched her before. She didn't notice when her skin turned red and angry looking or scratches appeared as she dug her fingers into her skin.

Inuyasha sat with his back to her as he listened to her splash behind him. He felt his ears perk up and then droop when the sound of her sobs reached him. 'I failed' he thought. 'I left her alone after I promised I would protect her and now she's crying because I wasn't there to protect her.' He didn't know why his perceived failure hurt so much. Suddenly, his head shot up as the scent of her blood reached him. He turned to see what could have hurt her since he hadn't sensed anything only to see her frantically scrubbing and tearing at her body. He got up and was moving before he even realized it, wading into the river and wrapping his arms around her to prevent her from hurting herself further.

Kagome stiffened when she felt a pair of arms encircle her. "Ssh" she heard Inuyasha whisper. "It's okay. You're safe now. They can't hurt you anymore." With a sob, she turned and threw herself against his chest, letting all of her fear and anger pour out with her tears. He merely held her and let her cry herself out. He felt nervous at being so close to the crying girl but somehow knew that she needed this. Her state of undress didn't even occur to him as he continued to hold her while she released her pent up emotions.

Once she had cried herself out, Kagome continued to lean against his chest for little longer. "Thank you" she told him. He merely tightened his grip on her before releasing her.

"Keh. I figured you needed that. You women are always crying about something or other" he said as he looked away. She merely smiled at his attempt to brush off her thanks. All of a sudden, she realized her state of undress and gave a startled shriek as she submerged herself in the water, a furious blush staining her cheeks. Inuyasha also began to blush as he hastily turned around and exited the water.

"O-oi. Don't take too much longer with your bath. I want to head out soon" he called as he returned to his previous position on the shore. He tried not to think about the glimpse of her naked body he had seen or wonder what it would feel like to touch it as he waited for her to exit and dress. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he never sensed the approaching danger until it was right on top of them.

Kagome had waited until he was seated once more before rising from her crouched position. She felt so embarrassed. She had thrown herself at him without one scrap of clothing on. But, she thought with a glance at the hanyou, 'He let me. He didn't try anything, only comforted me when I needed it.' She submerged herself one last time and then headed to where she had left her clothes. She looked at them with sadness and disgust before beginning to dress. As she finished, movement caught her eye and she gave a little scream as she threw herself back to avoid a spear.

At Kagome's scream, Inuyasha shot up and just missed being impaled on a wooden spear. "What the hell?!" he said as he took in their attackers. It was the village women he had heard earlier but there was something strange about the way they stood. It was like they were hanging there like puppets. One of them suddenly raised her hand and swung the knife she held at Inuyasha and he leaped back to land next to Kagome. "What the hell's wrong with you?" he shouted.

The women didn't answer. They suddenly jerked forward and Inuyasha could see that their feet were not touching the ground. "What the hell?! Are they possessed or what?" he asked as he grabbed Kagome and leaped again. He set her down and then punched one of the women, knocking her to the ground only for her rise back up into the air again. "What the fuck?!"

Kagome looked at their attackers. 'What is going on? They are acting like they are being controlled by something but what?' It reminded her of a puppet show she had seen once when she was younger. Light reflected off of something above them and caught her eye. 'Is that **hair**?' she wondered. She saw Inuyasha move to strike another and called out "Wait Inuyasha, they're being controlled. It's not them attacking, you have to sever the hair controlling them."

Inuyasha looked back at her with confusion. "What are you talking about wench? What hair?" He knew that the behavior of the women wasn't their own but he could not see what was controlling them. 'But maybe Kagome can' he thought as he moved to rejoin her.

'He can't see it?' she thought. She looked back at the women and could see where one strand of hair connected to all of the others and led back into the forest. "There Inuyasha" she pointed. "Cut that strand and it should release them."

Inuyasha looked but didn't see what she was pointing at. "What strand?" he asked as he again dodged a strike, this time from an ax.

"This one" Kagome said as she moved and grabbed it with her hands. She winced as she felt it cut into her skin, and drops of her blood coated it.

'There!' Inuyasha thought as he spotted where her blood appeared to be floating in the air. He jumped away from the women and swiped at the space between Kagome's hands, feeling something before his claws shredded it. As soon as he did, the women dropped like marionettes whose strings had been cut. "Keh. Now to find whoever was responsible and show them why it's a bad idea to mess with me" he said as he turned to face Kagome. But the scent of her blood hit him before he could say anything else and he quickly grabbed her hands.

"Baka! What did you do that for?" he asked as he examined the thin lines across her palms.

"It was the only way I could think of to show you where the hair was" she told him. She gasped as he lifted one hand to his mouth and ran his tongue along the cut. "W-what are you doing?" she asked, a blush quickly forming on her cheeks.

"Keh! My saliva has healing properties. I can't have you at a disadvantage when we face whatever was behind this" he told her, not wanting to explain how the scent of her blood was driving him mad. He quickly repeated his actions on her other hand and then released her. "Can you see where the hair was coming from?" he asked once he had finished.

She nodded and turned to point into the woods, only to gasp in horror. "Oh no!" she cried. There were strands of hair crisscrossing throughout the forest. She could still see where the main thread was and follow it back but it was going to be dangerous with all of that deadly hair surrounding them. She quickly explained what she saw to Inuyasha.

"Keh! Like something as stupid as a bunch of hair is going to be enough to stop me." He said before removing his haori to drape it over her. She looked at him, startled at his actions. "It's made from the fur of the Fire-Rat and is stronger than any suit of armor. It'll keep you safe." He told her.

Kagome was touched. "Th-thank you" she said with a blush. "But what about you? I can't take your armor and leave you unprotected."

"Keh! I'm not a weak human. My skin is tougher than yours, no way will something as stupid as hair be able to hurt me. Now let's go" he said as he pulled her onto his back.

He followed her directions, staying to the center of the path to avoid most of the hair. He also ran with his claws extended out in front of him, tearing into any of the hair that he did come across. A fire ahead of him caught his attention and he moved toward it. He reached a clearing with several bodies strewn about, their heads cut off. "Don't look" he told Kagome as he made to leave the clearing. He spotted a bow and quiver of arrows, and grabbed them as he remembered Kagome's earlier actions against the crow youkai. "Here" he said, handing them to her. "Just in case." She took them without a word. Despite his attempt to shield her, she had caught a glimpse of the clearing.

They continued on and eventually came to the clearing that the old well sat in. Kagome told Inuyasha to stop as she spotted a giant hair ball dangling above the well, suspended by thick ropes of different colored hair.

Suddenly thick strands of hair shot out from the trees. "Watch out Inuyasha!" Kagome called. He attempted to dodge them while swiping with his claws but they quickly wrapped around his wrists and left him hanging off the ground. Kagome got up from where she had fallen but he yelled "Stay back" before she could move to his side.

"Oh how cute. The puppy wants to protect the human." They turned at the voice to see a human looking girl with chin length hair slide down one of the strands of hair. Her dress was cut in a "V" shape and barely covered anything. "Hand over the Shikon no Tama" she said as she landed on the ground before them.

"That's the youkai?" Kagome asked as she stared at the human looking girl.

"Keh! She's an oni, an ogress. Don't get too close" Inuyasha warned from where he struggled to free himself.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yura of the Hair and I'll be taking the Shikon no Tama now, as well as your hair." She said as she walked closer to Inuyasha, grabbing a length of his hair. "What a lovely color. The baboon man never said your hair was so gorgeous." She muttered as she stroked it.

Inuyasha jerked his head away. "Keh! What makes you think you'll get either, you fucking whore!"

"Now, now puppy. That's not very nice. I think I need to teach you some manners before I kill you." She drew a sword and swung at Inuyasha, slicing into his shoulder. She slowly raised the blade to her face and licked his blood from it. "How do you like my sword, puppy? It's called "Crimson Mist" and it's my favorite. It severs flesh and bone without harming hair. So I can slice you into mincemeat without worrying about damaging that lovely hair of yours." She raised her hand to strike again. "I'll finish with you before I take the jewel from that girl of yours."

'No, I've got to stop her somehow' Kagome thought as she watched, filled with horror. She clutched at the bow in her hands and then took aim. 'Please let this work' she thought as the arrow began to glow pink. She fired.

"What?!" Yura shrieked as one of the strands of hair holding Inuyasha was burned away by a glowing arrow. She turned and saw Kagome pointing another arrow at her. "You little bitch! How dare you burn my beautiful hair." Kagome released the arrow but Yura managed to dodge it. However, the arrow pierced the mass of hair, unraveling it and causing skulls to rain down into the clearing.

Kagome looked at the skulls and shrieked "Eww! She gets her hair from human heads."

Yura turned a deadly glare on Kagome. "That's right little girl and I'm going to make you pay for ruining my nest. You can start by adding your hair to my collection." She sent a mass of hair at Kagome and buried her with it. "Hmm. On second thought, I don't want your ratty hair after all. Let's see how well you handle fire, human." Yura flicked a comb in Kagome's direction, sending flames along the hair that Kagome was buried in. Just before the flames reached her, Kagome noticed a glint of something red in the hair ball above her. Then the pile of hair she was buried in caught fire.

"Kagomeeee!" Inuyasha called out as his blood froze in his veins and he saw her disappear in a blanket of flames. He pulled and managed to free his arm from the strand of hair Kagome's earlier arrow had weakened. He plunged it into his wound, coating the claws with his own blood as he snarled "Die! Hijin Kessou!" He managed to sever one of her arms as well as the strands of hair that held him in place, freeing himself.

As soon as he hit the ground, he turned to look for Kagome but the pile of hair still burned and he could see no trace of the girl. Then he screamed as the tip of a katana burst out of his chest.

"That was rude, puppy. You shouldn't turn your back on me when I'm not done playing. Stop worrying about the girl, she's already dead. I'll retrieve the jewel from her body later after I've had a chance to sample your lovely hair." She pulled the sword out, causing Inuyasha to fall to the ground, though he turned so that he faced her. She sent black strands of hair to wrap around his neck, drawing blood. "Now I believe I was just about to remove your hair. Hold still, I want this to be nice and clean."

She stopped as she prepared to swing. "Someone is pulling on my hair" she said as she turned to face the well. "Still alive are you?"

Inuyasha also turned his head and spotted Kagome, still covered with his haori, climbing the mass of hair as though searching for something. He felt his heart unclench a little as he saw that she was alive and apparently unharmed.

Yura sent her disembodied hand at Kagome, causing the nest to move up and down and more skulls to come tumbling out. But Kagome held on as she called "Inuyasha! There's a red skull in here. I think it's the source of Yura's power. We have to find it."

"Impudent bitch! You will do no such thing." Yura made to throw her sword at the girl but Inuyasha was faster. He jumped up, tearing away the hair holding him, and punched right through her chest.

"Keh! Not so strong now are you" he said with a grin that faded as Yura still stood there despite the hole in her chest.

She looked down at it and frowned. "Didn't anyone ever teach you any manners. You don't put your hands on the chest of a girl you just met." She raised the sword and shoved it through his chest again before turning her attention back to the girl.

Kagome had seen Yura run Inuyasha through with the sword and felt her heart skip a beat. "INUYASHA!" she cried but he didn't move. Her fingers brushed something hard and she glanced down to see the red skull just as Yura appeared before her.

She flicked her hand and the hair moved, surrounding both of them. "Don't you know it's not nice to pull someone's hair" she said as she swung her sword at Kagome's arm.

"Aah!" Kagome screamed before she realized that she didn't feel any pain. "What?" she said as she opened her eyes and stared at her intact and unharmed arm.

"Why won't you bleed?" Yura screamed as she directed her hair to wrap around Kagome's body but that also had no effect.

'I'm not cut' Kagome thought as she looked down at her body. 'And that fire earlier, not one burn.' She recalled Inuyasha's words about the haori being better than armor. 'Inuyasha, you saved me again. But what about you?' She forced herself to focus on Yura rather than worry about Inuyasha's fate.

Yura came closer to her and peered into her face. "You look like an ordinary mortal to me. Let's test that theory. But first" and she grabbed the pouch containing the Shikon no Tama from Kagome's neck. "You won't be needing this any longer" she said as she nestled it between her breasts. Now, let's see if you can survive this!" She flung her arm out, sending hair to wrap around Kagome's neck.

Kagome felt herself choke as the hair cut off her circulation. It tightened, and she could feel blood start to trickle down her neck. 'Inuyasha' she thought as she closed her eyes.

"Hijin Kessou!" she heard suddenly and then she was free, and falling to the ground. She felt strong arms wrap around her, cradling her to a strong chest. "Hang on Kagome, I've got you. Don't you dare pass out on me."

Her eyes shot open. "Inuyasha?" she asked as she looked up at her rescuer. He stood there, covered in his own blood but obviously alive.

"Keh! What, you thought a weakling like her would actually be able to kill me. As if."

She felt tears of relief well up in her and she went to say something when movement behind him caught her eye. "Inuyasha, watch out!"

He turned in time to be impaled on the sword Yura had flung out using her hair. They watched as the sword pulled itself out to hang in the air, dangling from a strand of hair. "Hmph. You seem to forget that I am immortal." She said as they spotted her hanging in the air, supported by thick strands of hair. She was missing both arms but still controlled the hair around them and was thus still dangerous. "Now die!" she called as she directed the sword towards them again.

Kagome recalled the red skull and looked down to see that it was still clutched in her grasp. She grabbed an arrow from the quiver on her back and stabbed it into the top of the skull. 'This skull. The hairs from it are connected to Yura. If I can sever that connection-'

As the arrow pierced the top of the skull the sword froze in midair, before tumbling to the ground. Yura, a pained expression on her face, turned and spotted Kagome and yelled "Stop that! I'll kill you girl!" Then, with a flash of pink light the skull cracked, and Yura screamed before dissolving, leaving behind only her clothes.

Kagome looked down to see that the arrow had pierced the skull and broken a comb in half. "A comb?" she asked. She looked up as Inuyasha approached, clutching his chest and panting heavily.

"Keh. That comb was probably used to comb the hair of the dead. Someone didn't purify it afterward and it began to possess demonic energy. Yura didn't control it so much as it controlled her. Here" he said, holding out the pouch containing the Shikon no Tama before he collapsed next to her.

"Inuyasha!" she cried as she through herself down next to him. "You're hurt. This is all my fault, all because you gave me your haori to wear. You wouldn't be hurt right now if you had worn it" she said tears streaming down her face.

'She's crying for me' he thought with amazement as he watched the tears stream down her face. "Baka! If I hadn't given it to you, you would be dead. Don't worry about it, I'll be as good as new in a couple of days." The scent of her blood hit him then. "You're bleeding. Where are you hurt?" He raised his head to look over her body, searching for the wound he could smell.

Kagome lifted her hand to her neck. She had forgotten all about Yura cutting it. "It's nothing" she told him. "You're the one who is seriously injured."

He saw her hand go to her throat. "Let me see" he told her. The scent of her blood was driving him mad, filling him with the unsettling sensation that he had failed her. He had to see how bad it was. He grabbed her hand and tugged her down next to him. Tilting her head up, he examined the shallow wound before he leaned closer and gently lapped at it with his tongue. "There" he said as he sealed it, no longer able to smell her blood. He made to push himself to his feet only to collapse again. "Shit" he panted, trying to catch his breath. 'Must have a punctured lung' he thought.

Kagome had blushed at his actions but cried out when she saw him collapse again. She clenched her hands, feeling powerless, then frowned as she looked at the pouch in her hand. 'This is all the Shikon no Tama's fault' she thought as she picked up the pouch and removed the jewel to look at it. 'Mistress Centipede, those low level youkai, the bandits and crow youkai, and now Yura. What will come after it next? How many more will suffer?' she wondered as she thought about the dead samurai, the possessed village women, and Inuyasha's wounds. "None of this would have happened if not for this stupid jewel. I wish it would just disappear forever!" she cried suddenly as she thought about all the trouble it had caused.

Suddenly the jewel began to glow in her hands. Inuyasha and Kagome stared at it before they had to shield their eyes as the light became too bright. There was a flash and the light vanished, leaving a figure standing before them.

* * *

Author's note: So be honest, who saw that coming?


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: As I said previously, the updates will likely begin to slow down a bit. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome stared at the figure before them with shock. Inuyasha tried to lift himself up to put himself protectively in front of Kagome, only to collapse again. Kagome quickly pulled him back to lay against her lap.

"Peace Inuyasha" the figure spoke. "I mean no harm to either of you. I only wish to thank you."

"Thank us? For what?" Kagome asked as she stared at the transparent form before them. She was dressed in ancient armor over miko clothing with a sword at her side, long dark hair flowing in a nonexistent breeze. On her forehead was a diamond-patterned symbol.

"My name is Midoriko and you have freed me. Long ago I battled a hoard of demons for seven days and seven nights before realizing I would not be able to defeat them. As a last resort I trapped them along with my soul, creating the Shikon no Tama. We have been fighting within the jewel ever since. Your wish, your unselfish desire to spare others the pain the jewel caused, has purified the jewel and set us free to find our rest. Thank you" she said once more as she faded away.

They stared at the spot she had been before Kagome looked down and saw that the jewel was indeed gone. All that remained was a small pile of dust that quickly blew away in the night air. She turned to Inuyasha and asked "Now what?"

Her answer came from behind her. "You can come to the village to rest and heal." Kagome turned around to see that Kaede had come up behind them and was standing a few feet away. She looked further away and saw that several villagers were standing near the trees. Kagome tensed as she clutched Inuyasha against her body.

Kaede had been working in her garden when one of the villagers had come running for her, saying that there had been an attack at the river. She had gone there quickly with several of the village men and discovered the women just waking up. Only she had been able to see the remains of the hair. Asking the women what had occurred was useless as they could not recall what happened. So she had taken the men with her and followed the hair to the clearing of the Bone Eater's Well. She had arrived in time to see Kagome finish the creature off and then watched as a wounded Inuyasha handed her something before collapsing next to her. Kaede had then seen the hanyou gently tug the girl down before he licked her neck. She had seen the blood on the girl's neck and understood what he was doing, having heard of the healing properties of inu-youkai saliva. The men with her had not understood and so she had missed what the two had said as she calmed the fears of the men that Inuyasha would eat the girl.

Kaede had been surprised to realize that the object that he had given her before he collapsed was the Shikon no Tama. 'He did not try to keep it for himself?' She had listened as Kagome cursed the jewel, blaming it for their troubles. She had been about to approach and offer to bring them to the village when Kagome made her wish and the spirit appeared. So Kaede had also heard the apparition's explanation and knew that the jewel was no more. That was when she decided it was time to reveal herself. But seeing the fear cross the girl's face, she couldn't help but wonder what scared her so. She had questioned the men the previous day and learned that they had come across her earlier and had been bringing her to the village when she ran off, but had sensed that they were keeping something back. Seeing the look on her face, Kaede cursed herself for not questioning them further.

"Easy child. I mean you no harm. I just wish to help you. Inuyasha is wounded and needs time to heal. He can do that at the village. None there will harm you."

"Keh! Like I'd believe that baba. No thanks, we'll take our chances out here" Inuyasha said as he struggled to sit up.

"Easy Inuyasha. Those wounds are large and will be a while in healing, even for one with your physiology. I give my word that neither of you will be harmed. Besides, young Kagome here needs training." She turned her attention to the girl, hoping she would be able to convince her and in turn the hanyou. "You wouldn't want to hurt your companion would you?"

Kagome frowned. "What do you mean? I would never hurt Inuyasha."

Kaede shook her head. "Not intentionally, no. But you possess the powers of a miko, untrained though you are. If you lost control you could easily hurt him. Your powers are great, and purifying the jewel only emphasizes that fact. As great as my sister's powers were, that was something that even she had never been able to do. If you return to the village with me, I will be able to teach you the control you need."

Kagome thought over the old miko's words. After the events of the last two days, 'has it really only been two days?', she knew the miko was telling the truth about her powers. But could she really hurt Inuyasha if she didn't learn to control them? So far her powers had only come out when she had been in danger. 'Or when Inuyasha was' she thought as she remembered the arrow that had torn through the hair binding him. She turned to look at Inuyasha.

He caught her look. "Oi! Don't tell me you're actually considering it. We don't need them, I'll protect you."

"But what if she's right and I do accidentally hurt you. I couldn't bear it if I hurt you somehow."

"Keh. Like you would be able to wench. Don't worry." But he could tell by the frown on her face and the way she bit her lip that she was still worried. He cursed the fact that he was injured or he would have already carried her away. If the villagers tried to force them, he wasn't sure if he would be able to stop them.

"How will you protect her Inuyasha? You are too injured to move. The Shikon no Tama may be gone but there are those who will still come after Kagome for the power that she possesses." Kaede told him. "I give you my word of honor as a miko that no harm will come to either of you."

"And why should a miko want to help a hanyou?" he scoffed at her.

"I owe you a debt for saving my life all of those years ago. Let me repay it. You may stay in my hut with me and none will dare to harm either of you."

Inuyasha considered her words as he stared into her one eye. He knew she spoke the truth about his ability to protect Kagome at the moment and he could tell that she was sincere in her intent to help them. He slowly nodded his agreement and she gestured for the village men to help her carry him to her hut in the village.

"Keh! I'll go to the village but I'll get there on my own two feet baba" Inuyasha said as he waved off the reluctant men. "I don't need help from any weak humans." He glared at Kagome when she opened her mouth to say something.

Kaede raised an eyebrow at him. "If that is your wish, Inuyasha, then so be it. But don't complain when you collapse again." She waved the men back and they gladly put some distance between themselves and the injured hanyou and turned their attention to the surrounding forest.

"Keh. I'll be fine." Inuyasha managed to push himself to his feet. "See?" he said. But sweat was beading on his forehead and he panted from the effort. As he went to take a step forward, he felt himself begin to fall but he never hit the ground. Instead he felt someone grab his arm and place it around a slender shoulder as they helped support his weight. He turned his head and saw Kagome. He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off with a glare.

"Stop being a baby Inuyasha and admit when you need help" she said quietly enough that only Inuyasha would be able to hear her. He bristled at her words but calmed when she shot him an understanding look before adjusting his weight on her shoulders so that he was supported without appearing to be leaning on her. 'She understands' he thought. 'She knows I can't show any weakness.' She had placed his arm so it draped over her shoulders, giving the appearance of a display of affection. While he wasn't sure he wanted to give the villagers that impression he had to admit it was vastly better than being seen as too weak to walk on his own.

"If that is settled, let us be moving on" Kaede said after watching the byplay between the two with interest. 'There is something going on there' she thought. With that, she led the way to the village with the men taking up positions around them.

As they neared the village she noted that both the hanyou and untrained miko became tenser with every step. While she could understand Inuyasha being unsettled, she wondered what was causing the Kagome's discomfort. She resolved to keep a close eye on both of her guests.

Inuyasha felt himself becoming tenser with every step they took nearer to the village. He was uncomfortable being so close to a human settlement, especially injured as he was. But for Kagome he would do it. He glanced at the girl beside him and saw how pale she was becoming and felt the tension in her as well. "It'll be alright" he told her quietly. "I'll protect you. The first sign of any trouble and we're out of there alright?" He received a smile in return for his words.

Kaede had listened to his words and wondered both at what trouble he was expecting and the gentle tone he had used with the girl. It was so different from how he spoke to everyone else that she had done a double take to make sure it was the same hanyou. Something about the girl seemed to bring out his gentler nature, she mused.

She spotted the village gates ahead of them and saw that they had a welcoming committee. Kaede increased her pace so that she arrived first.

"Kaede-sama, you have returned" the village headman, Yoshi greeted her. "Were you able to find and defeat the youkai?" He stiffened as he saw Kagome and Inuyasha approaching. Inuyasha had straightened to carry more of his own weight as they came into sight and appeared to be standing tall with Kagome tucked protectively under his arm. The red of his haori hid his wounds. Yoshi gulped as he saw the obviously demonic features like the silver hair, dog ears and claws. "Kaede-sama, who are they? Why have you brought them to the village?"

"Be at peace Yoshi. They mean us no harm. Inuyasha and Kagome are the ones who defeated the youkai responsible for the attack on the village women. They will be staying in my hut while their wounds heal. Also, Kagome has agreed to train with me to control her miko abilities." Kaede told the man.

"A miko?" Yoshi asked as he glanced at the strangely dressed girl standing with the hanyou. "But to allow one of youkai heritage into the village, are you sure that is wise?" Yoshi knew that Kaede was a powerful and knowledgeable miko but he felt he needed to question her judgment in this matter.

Inuyasha interrupted before Kaede could answer. "Keh! If you don't want us here then just say so. We'll be happy to leave." He tightened his grip on Kagome's shoulders.

"That won't be necessary, Inuyasha" Kaede said as she directed a glare at him before turning back to Yoshi. "I have given them my word that they will not be harmed. And now I give you my word that they will not harm the village. They will stay in my hut with me for the duration of their stay. I trust that is satisfactory?" She fixed her gaze on Yoshi and he nodded.

"Yes Kaede-sama."

With that settled Kaede led Inuyasha and Kagome to her hut. Once they were inside and out of the view of the villagers, Inuyasha's legs gave out and he would have fallen if not for Kagome. She lowered him onto the futon that Kaede indicated and then helped him remove his haori while Kaede went to get her herbs.

"Alright Inuyasha, remove your kosode and I will take care of those wounds" Kaede told him as she approached with bandages and herbs.

"No" he told her. She merely raised an eyebrow at him.

Kagome wasn't so reserved. "Inuyasha stop being so stubborn. Those wounds are serious and need to be take care of. Let Kaede help you."

"No" he said again. He had nothing against Kaede but he didn't want her touching his wounds. He looked at Kagome. "You do it."

Kagome gaped at him. "Me? But I don't know the first thing about treating a wound like that. I could hurt you."

He simply set his jaw and stared at her.

Kaede hastily interjected. "It is very simple Kagome-sama. I will talk you through everything. You can consider it the start of your training. For some reason, I am sure that you will need the knowledge of how to treat this stubborn fool's injuries." She shot him a wry look as she said the last part.

They ignored Inuyasha's sullen "Keh" as Kaede directed Kagome through the process of cleaning and bandaging the wounds. Kaede found Kagome to be a fast learner and the process went quickly. Once done Kaede turned and examined Kagome with a critical eye. "Come Kagome-sama. I have a sleep yukata you may wear. In the morning I will find you more suitable clothing."

Kagome thanked her and changed behind a screen. They ate a small meal of stew and then settled in for the night.

* * *

The next morning Kaede walked Kagome through the process of changing Inuyasha's bandages and then prepared a light breakfast for them. As they ate she explained her plans for the day. "I need to replenish my herb supply. You can come with me Kagome-sama. It would be wise for you to learn which herbs are useful for what ailments and where to find them. We won't go far from the village. Inuyasha may remain here and rest."

Needless to say, Inuyasha objected strongly to that idea. "Forget it baba. She's not going anywhere without me." He did not like this plan at all.

Kagome also worried about traveling around the village without Inuyasha but she easily recalled the sight of his wounds. "I'll be alright Inuyasha. Kaede-sama will be with me and if anything happens I'll scream for you. I don't want you to risk reopening your wounds by moving about unnecessarily."

"Keh!" But he subside at the pleading look she directed at him. "You yell for me if any of them even look at you funny, understand wench? I'll hear and be there before they can lay finger on you."

"Okay Inuyasha" she told him with a small smile.

Kaede interjected. "She will be perfectly fine Inuyasha. No one in the village shall harm her."

Inuyasha shot the miko a look before ignoring her and turning back to the younger woman. "Keh! I mean it wench, if they look at you the wrong way you call for me."

Kaede was left to wonder yet again just what it was she was missing. She stood and provided Kagome with the traditional clothing of a miko. "Here Kagome-sama. I'm afraid that your clothing looks to be beyond repair. This will do for now until other clothing can be arranged."

Kagome thanked her and changed. With another warning from Inuyasha they exited the hut and followed the path to where Kaede normally collected her herbs. As they walked Kaede pointed out various plants and the types of ailments they could be used for. Kagome did her best to remember everything she was told. They quickly gathered the plants Kaede needed and began to head back.

There were more villagers around on their way back and Kagome became self-conscious at the looks directed at her. However, they seemed more curious than anything and Kagome felt herself begin to relax. Then something one of the villagers said caught her attention and she stopped.

"Excuse me?" she called. The man and his companion turned to look at her. "I'm sorry but I couldn't help overhearing you. Did you just say Oda Nobunaga?"

The men exchanged glances before answering her. "Yes miko-sama. We were just discussing the new rumors of what the Owari no Outsuke (Fool of Owari) has done now. Do you know him?"

Kagome simply shook her head, too shocked to say anything more. She reflexively excused herself before heading back to Kaede's hut. She ignored the older woman's worried calls as she entered the hut and sat down, still in shock.

'Oda Nobunaga. Owari no Outsuke. If I recall my history lessons correctly, that is what he was called during his teenage years. I'm not in a different world, I'm in the past!' She realized with a start. She slowly became aware of a voice calling to her and a tight grip on her shoulders. She looked up to see Inuyasha's worried face in front of her.

Inuyasha had looked up when Kagome had entered the hut but had felt himself become concerned at how pale she appeared. When she walked in and sat down without sparing him a glance he had felt his concern grow and called to her but received no response. 'What happened?' he wondered. 'Did the villagers do something to her?' He growled at that thought as he pushed himself up to move over to her. He heard the door hanging move and turned his head to see Kaede enter with a confused look on her face. 'No, if the villagers had done something Kaede-baba wouldn't be so calm.' He placed himself directly in front of Kagome and gripped her shoulders, giving her a little shake. "Oi, Kagome. Snap out of it wench. What's wrong?"

"Inuyasha?" she asked as she snapped out of her thoughts. "What are you doing up? You're supposed to be resting." She hurried to lay him back down but he waved her off.

"Keh. I'm fine wench. You're the one who looked like they were miles away. What's wrong? Did the villagers try something?"

"No Inuyasha, nothing like that. I'm fine. I just had a realization and it shocked me." He raised an eyebrow at her and gestured for her to continue. She sighed but did so. "You remember I told you about how I fell down the well and found myself here?"

He nodded but Kaede interrupted. "I'm afraid I have not heard this story Kagome-sama. Please explain it to me."

Kagome hushed Inuyasha's impatient growl before giving Kaede a quick explanation for how she found herself in this land. "Anyway, on our way back I heard a couple of villagers talking."

Inuyasha growled wondering what they had said to upset her but she shushed him and continued. "I heard them mention a familiar name, Oda Nobunaga. So I stopped and asked them. When they referred to him as Owari no Outsuke, I suddenly knew. This isn't some type of other world or dimension like I had thought. This is the past, or rather, my time's past."

They sat their in silence for a few minutes as they digested that. "Oi when you say the past, how long do you mean?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well by my calendar Oda Nobunaga was born in 1532. So between 450 and 470 years, I guess."

"Hmm." Kaede murmured. "I had wondered at your strange clothing. I would guess that styles of clothing would change after that much time. It also answers a question I had about you being Kikyou-oneesan's reincarnation. Fifty years seemed like too short a time for a soul like yours to be reborn. Around 500 years seems far more likely. I would hazard a guess that you were drawn back to fulfill a purpose; perhaps correct a mistake." Kaede gestured at Inuyasha. "It remains to be seen if you will be able to return to your own time now that your task is completed."

"What do you mean Kaede-sama? What task?" Kagome asked, confused.

"You freed Inuyasha from his unfair punishment and have purified the Shikon no Tama. I can think of no other reasons for you to have been brought so far from your own time." She got to her feet. "But that is a matter for another time. For now let us focus on your miko training. Even if you return to your own time it would be wise to have some understanding of your powers."

With that Kaede drew Kagome to the side and began to teach her how to meditate and draw on her powers. While they worked on that, Inuyasha sat against the wall of the hut as he contemplated the girl from the future. '450 to 470 years. That's a long time. What if the baba's right and now that her task is done she returns home? I'll be alone again.' He sat there with a frown on his face as he was lost in his thoughts for the rest of the afternoon.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: As I said previously, the updates will likely begin to slow down a bit. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

Note on sacred arrows: I don't know if my theory is correct or not. It is probably wrong but I am deciding to use this theory in regards to miko and their arrows. I think that miko use special arrows that they have already applied their powers to for channeling their purifying energy. I believe this based on the episode where Kikyou was explaining the difference between a sealing arrow and a purifying one. As I said it is probably wrong but that is the theory I am using for this story.

* * *

'Twang' went the bow as Kagome loosed the arrow at the target. 'Swish' went the leaves of a nearby tree as she completely missed. "Argh!" she cried. She was becoming really frustrated at her inability to hit the target. "I don't understand. I was able to do this against Yura and the crow youkai but now I can't even hit a non-moving target. What is going on?" she asked.

It had been two days since she had made her discovery. Kaede had stepped up her training, and after being informed of Kagome's feats against both Yura and the crow youkai in spite of never having held a bow before in her life, she had taken her out to this field to practice. But despite her earlier successes, she wasn't even coming anywhere near the target. She was really becoming frustrated at this point. Not to mention that Inuyasha seemed to be avoiding her the last couple of days. She knew that he was nearby, she could sense him, a side effect of Kaede showing her how to call upon her miko powers.

_Flashback_

"_Now Kagome-sama, just relax and breathe deeply. Close your eyes and look deep inside yourself, towards your center. You should feel a warm spot in the center of your chest. Focus on that. Do you feel it?"_

"_Yes Kaede-sama. If feels so warm and peaceful."_

"_Good. Now I want you to grab onto the source of that feeling and drag it too you. Can you see it? There should be a small pool of light."_

_Kagome frowned as she did as she was told. "I can see it Kaede-sama. It's so big and bright."_

_Kaede felt her own brow crinkle at Kagome's words. 'I know she is powerful but still. Her powers are untrained and should only appear as a small light. Perhaps she is merely overreacting, never having seen something like this before?' Kaede brushed off her doubts and continued the lesson. "Now Kagome-sama, slowly bring that light to the surface. Let it pool beneath your skin and spread over your body."_

_Kagome tried to do as she was told but the light was so big and bright. Unknown to her, her body began to emit a pink glow that grew brighter by the second, drawing the gaze of the other occupants of the hut. She panted "Kaede-sama! It's too big. I can't hold it!" She screamed as her body felt like it was on fire._

_Kaede's eye popped open in shock. 'Impossible! How can one person contain so much power.' Hearing the girl scream she hastened to direct her. "Let go of the energy, the light. You must allow it to return to it's previous position."_

_But Kagome couldn't hear her. She could only focus on the pain she felt. "It hurts" she whimpered._

_Inuyasha snapped at that, grabbing the old miko by the front of her shirt. "What the fuck did you do to her, ya old hag?!" He snarled at her._

"_I did nothing Inuyasha. I did not realize the extent of her power. It is too much for her, untrained as she is. We must calm her before she irrevocably harms herself."_

_At her words he dropped her before heading over to Kagome. "Oi wench, snap out of it. You need to stop whatever you are doing, you hear me Bitch!" But his words were unable to reach her either. With a growl he bent down to grab her and shake her awake._

"_No Inuyasha! You must not touch her! You'll be purified!"_

_But Kaede's words were too late. He had already grasped Kagome and now he joined her in her pain-filled screams. He found he could not remove his hand from her shoulder and he collapsed beside her as the light spread from her body to his._

_But his screams seemed to reach Kagome. "Inu-Inuyasha?" she gasped, forcing her eyes open. She spotted him beside her, body convulsing with the pain. "No!" she cried as she instinctively tried to protect him. Her power reacted to her wish and now the two were surrounded by the pink glow but no longer in pain. "Inuyasha?" she called again and was relieved to see his eyes open to look at her._

"_You alright?" he asked._

_She nodded and then their eyes connected. In that one instant it was like their souls had met, they each knew every thought, every feeling, everything about the other. Then the moment passed and the pink light faded away, leaving them panting on the ground._

_Kaede warily approached them and Inuyasha hastily removed his hand, though both immediately missed the contact. "Are you both alright?" At their nods she apologized. "I'm sorry Kagome-sama. I did not take into account how strong your powers are. I will teach you how to draw smaller amounts of power until you are able to handle all of it. But for now you both need to rest." And they had retired for the night._

_End Flashback_

Ever since then Kagome had been able to sense when Inuyasha was nearby, which was almost always, though she often didn't see him. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe she had hurt him and that's why he was now avoiding her. He hadn't even allowed her to check his wounds that morning, exiting the hut before she awoke. Only her new ability to sense him let her know that he hadn't abandoned her. She knew that he only stayed in the village because of her. 'Is that it?' she thought. 'Does he feel that I am a burden and he can't wait to be rid of me?' But her worries about Inuyasha were messing with her ability to concentrate and adding to her overall frustration.

Kaede simply gave a small "Hmm." at her previous outburst. "Perhaps you are trying to force it too much. Or perhaps you simply have too much on your mind to concentrate properly." She received a blush from Kagome in return for her statement and knowing look. "Tell me what was going on when you fought those youkai. What were they doing, what were you thinking and feeling?"

Kagome quickly explained her previous encounters.

"Ah. Perhaps that is it. In both instances you perceived Inuyasha to be in danger. Your determination to protect him led to you tapping into your miko powers which helped to guide your arrows. Let us test this. Inuyasha!" Kaede called while glancing into a nearby tree. "Come down and help us with a demonstration."

Kagome glanced into the tree and saw the hanyou lounging on a high branch. "Keh!" he said but jumped down. "What do you want, baba?"

"Simply for you to help us test Kagome's aim. Simply stand by the target." Grumbling he did so. "Now Kagome-sama, imagine that the target is a youkai that is about to attack Inuyasha. If you do not hit it, he will die. You must make this shot."

Both Kagome and Inuyasha objected to this plan. "Oi, have you finally lost it baba? What if she hits me? I've got no wish to be purified."

"Bah!" Kaede said. "Are you telling me that you are afraid of a little piece of wood. No spell has been set on the arrow, so even if Kagome-sama misses and hits you, you wouldn't be purified. Am I to believe that you are worried about an ordinary arrow injuring you?"

"Keh! I ain't afraid of anything. Bring it on wench!" he yelled as he took up position.

"I don't know about this Kaede-sama" Kagome said as she looked from her bow to Inuyasha and back again.

"Relax child, I know that you will not allow any harm to come to your hanyou. Now concentrate. Imagine that Inuyasha's life is at stake if you don't make this shot."

Frowning Kagome did as she was told. She pictured the target to be Yura as she prepared to impale Inuyasha. With a cry of "No!" Kagome took aim and released the arrow. As it shot forward, it began to glow with a pink light before it hit the target and blew it to pieces. The occupants of the clearing froze at the destruction.

Inuyasha had leaped aside when the glowing missile had soared past him. "Oi baba! What was that?! I thought you said there was no spell on that arrow." He angrily yelled as he approached the two miko.

Kaede continued to stare at the destruction in shock. "Th-there wasn't" she managed to say. "That should not have been possible, it was an ordinary arrow."

"What do you mean Kaede-sama? That's the same thing that happened against the crow youkai and Yura." Kagome was confused. 'I did what she told me to do. Why shouldn't it have happened?'

Kaede's eye widened further before she began to explain. "When a miko wishes to use purifying arrows they must first prepare the arrow with a spell in order to channel their power through it. The arrows that you have been practicing with are ordinary arrows that have not been prepared. It takes time and effort to prepare each arrow. That was also the reason why Kikyou sealed Inuyasha rather than purifying him. She had used the last of her purifying arrows and the only arrow she had left was one that had been prepared for sealing." Kaede cleared her throat. "This is just another thing that shows just how powerful you are Kagome-sama."

Kagome stood there in shock at this news. 'Great, another way that I am different' she thought. She was shaken from her thoughts by Inuyasha.

"Keh. Sounds like a good thing to me wench. You won't have to worry about having to prepare any arrows before hand. That would be an advantage if you ever found yourself in another battle with youkai." He crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to ignore the voice inside that objected to her being exposed to battle.

Kagome's attention was drawn to his chest by his movement. "Inuyasha! What are you doing? Your wounds!" She hurried over to him.

He brushed aside her concerns. "Keh. I'm just fine wench. Leave it" he said with a slight blush as he batted at her hands as she tried to pull his haori and kosode open.

"No. Now let me see your wounds. Did you forget that you were seriously injured just a few days ago? You could have reopened your wounds." She managed to push aside his hands and get his clothing open only to stop and stare in shock. "What?" she asked. He had removed the bandages and there was no sign of the wounds he had possessed.

"Keh! Haven't you realized by now that my body's different?!" Inuyasha huffed as he made to re-close his clothing. "What are you staring at?"

Kagome blushed as she realized that she had been staring at his chest. 'Wow, he's got a great body under those baggy clothes of his. I wonder what it would be like to rub my hands over it? No, bad Kagome, bad thoughts.' She blushed deeper but asked "Those wounds are gone already?"

"Yes Inuyasha" Kaede agreed. "For such a great wound to heal already and leave no scar. It is astonishing."

"Keh! I'm not a weak human. Just because they would have killed a human doesn't make a big deal for someone like me" he huffed as he crossed his arms and turned his head away.

'It must be because of his youkai blood' Kagome thought. 'But he's only half and he still heals so fast?' She was drawn from her thoughts when she saw Inuyasha frown and pull his haori open again before slapping his hand against his chest.

"Ow" a little voice said from Inuyasha's hand. Kagome came closer to peer at the small creature as it turned and said "Greetings Inuyasha-sama. Long time no taste."

"Keh! If it isn't old Myouga the flea youkai. What are you doing here?"

The flea had a grave look of concern on his face. "Oh, Inuyasha-sama, it's terrible. Someone is trying to find and rob your honored father's tomb."

At his announcement Kaede invited them to continue this discussion at her hut and they agreed.

Once inside the hut Kaede served tea, including a drop for the flea in a tiny cup he had produced, and introductions were performed.

"Now, Myouga-jiji, why don't you tell me what you meant about my old man's tomb" Inuyasha growled out impatiently. He felt Kagome pat his arm from her spot next to him and calmed slightly.

Myouga watched this by-play with interest before responding. "As the Guardian of your honored father's final resting place I could not just sit back and let them find it."

Inuyasha interrupted. "Keh! So you abandoned it and came here. Some guardian you are" he said in a bored tone.

Kaede turned to him. "Even here we have heard of your father Inuyasha. They say he was a great Inu-youkai, a taiyoukai and that the Western Lands were his domain."

"Keh! Can't say as I remember much" Inuyasha said as he lounged there with his face on his palm.

"Your father was a youkai among youkai, Inuyasha-sama" Myouga sang his praises. "Great and powerful. And he had such delicious blood, something you have inherited from him" he said as he eyed Inuyasha's neck.

"Don't even think about it" Inuyasha warned "or I'll squash you."

"Oh, the life of a flea is so full of peril, not even a taste?"

Kagome sat and listened with fascination. 'So his father was a powerful demon, what about his mother?' She decided to ask. "What about Inuyasha's mother, Myouga-san?"

"Oh she was the most beautiful princess, beyond compare-" He was cut off as Inuyasha's foot came down on top of him, squashing him to the floor.

"Shut up!" he ordered with a glare before moving to storm out of the hut. "Just forget about it. She died a long time ago." With that he exited the hut, and Kagome felt him depart the immediate vicinity.

"Did I say something to make him upset?" she asked as she pictured the look on face as he left. He had looked so angry and full of pain.

Myouga answered her as his body re-inflated with a small pop. "No Kagome-sama. Inuyasha-sama has always preferred not to speak of his mother."

Kagome looked out into the night before excusing herself and exiting the hut in search of Inuyasha. She calmed their concerns by telling them she was going to find Inuyasha, and taking her bow and arrows with her. She followed the feeling of his youki until she spotted him sitting high in a lone tree. She paused beneath him to admire his profile against the full moon. 'His father was a full youkai, but Inuyasha is only half. That means his mother was a mortal woman? Is that why he doesn't want to speak about her? Is he so ashamed of his blood? He couldn't hate his own mother, could he?' She couldn't imagine anyone hating their own mother, not when she missed her own so terribly.

She was drawn from her thoughts when a heavy object dropped down from above and pulled her to the ground. She opened her mouth to scream only to find a familiar red cloth being pulled over her head.

"Shh wench. We've got company." Inuyasha's familiar voice said from beside her.

She looked up and spotted a carriage flying across the sky. There were some type of imp like creatures on the sides and inside she could make out the form of a woman in chains. She felt Inuyasha stiffen beside her. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

He didn't respond. Instead he slowly rose to his feet and moved forward for a better view of the carriage's occupant. The woman spotted him and her face widened in recognition. "Inuyasha?" she called.

Kagome looked between the two with confusion. But then Inuyasha spoke and she felt herself freeze with shock. "M-mother?" His face was a mix of pain, longing, and confusion before he settled it back into the mask he normally wore.

'His mother? But he said she was dead.' "Inuyasha?" she asked moving to his side. "I thought you said she was dead?"

He didn't have a chance to respond. The clouds in the sky swirled and descended, forming the shape of a large blue youkai. It raised it's arm and grabbed the carriage out of the sky, smashing it and clutching it's occupant in it's large hand.

"Let her go!" Inuyasha cried as he leaped up at the youkai, only to have to dodge a jet of flames. He landed on the ground beside Kagome and stared at the creature's shoulder. Kagome also directed her gaze to that spot.

Standing there were to figures. One was short and toad like, carrying a staff. The other was the one that caught her attention. He had long silver hair and golden eyes similar to Inuyasha but where Inuyasha's eyes were warm and showed his emotion, this newcomer's were cold and heartless. His pointed ears held his long hair back from his face. He had a blue crescent moon upon his forehead and twin red stripes on each cheek. He was dressed in a white outfit, with some type of fur draped over his shoulder and armor across his chest. Kagome felt herself give a little shiver at the cold look upon his face and stepped closer to Inuyasha, clutching at the sleeve of his haori.

Inuyasha growled out "Bastard! Should have known you'd be behind something like this. You think this is funny, trying to trick me like that? Huh, Sesshomaru?!"

"I've missed you as well, Little Brother." The youkai, Sesshomaru called as he stared at Inuyasha in turn.

'Brother? What is going on?' Kagome thought as she looked between the two. She had to admit that she could see something of a resemblance but wondered at the apparent hostility. She had a bad feeling that this family reunion was going to be anything but happy.

* * *

Sorry for the cliffhanger but it was the best spot to end it. I should have the next chapter up in a day or two. It will mostly follow canon, though you should see some changes based on the changes in the Inuyasha/Kagome relationship.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: As I said previously, the updates will soon likely begin to slow down a bit. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

This chapter will largely follow canon, aside from some minor changes.

I know: Two chapters in one day. But since this largely followed canon it was very easy to write, I just had to consult my books. To anyone who is curious, I am using a mix of both the manga and anime. I rely more heavily on the manga but if something from the anime seems to fit better then that is what I use.

* * *

_Previously_

_'Brother? What is going on?' Kagome thought as she looked between the two. She had to admit that she could see something of a resemblance but wondered at the apparent hostility. She had a bad feeling that this family reunion was going to be anything but happy._

* * *

"Inuyasha, what's going on? Why did he call you his brother?" Kagome was feeling overwhelmed.

Her questions reminded Inuyasha of her presence and he moved to shield her. "Because he is. He's my half brother by my father. Stay close wench. Sesshomaru is dangerous, he's not like the other youkai you've faced."

His words and actions drew Sesshomaru's attention. "Hmm. A mortal woman, and a miko at that. How interesting."

Inuyasha bristled. "What of it?"

"Others would be shamed little brother, but I find that a girl like that suits you. You with your mortal wretch of a mother, you are finally associating on your own level at last. I wonder though if your years spent sealed to a tree have addled your brain that you would willingy associate with a miko. Or are both of you traitors to your own kinds?" He waved his hand dismissively at Inuyasha's growl. "No matter. Tell me how to find our father's grave."

"So you're the one? Why ask me? I haven't got a clue and I couldn't care less!" Inuyasha shot back.

"_Seeing yet never seen. Protected yet never known to it's protector."_ Sesshomaru said. "No other clues are known."

"Keh. I've got no idea what you're talking about." Inuyasha smirked. "Besides, even if I did know, there's no way I'd tell a bastard like you."

"I see" Sesshomaru said. "Then I shall just have to let your mother's suffering convince you." He produced a whip and struck the enormous creature, causing it to tighten it's grip on the woman in it's hand.

Inuyasha tensed at her pain-filled cries. Behind him Kagome cried "Inuyasha!" and clutched at his arm when he made no other movement.

He reached to place one of his hands over her own are his arm before turning to face Sesshomaru. "Keh! Like that trick's gonna work on me. You and I both know that my mother died years ago."

The little toad-imp spoke up suddenly. "Fool. Something like bringing a soul back from the afterlife is a simple task for one such as Sesshomaru-sama! He was even so kind as to provide her with a flesh and blood body. And yet her own son denies her. How sad it must be to be the mother to one such as you."

Inuyasha raised his eyes to look at the woman again. She stretched her arm out toward him and cried "Inuyasha!" as the youkai tightened it's grip once more.

"Th-then it's not a trick? Mother!" he cried as he leaped at the youkai. "Sankon Tessou!" He slashed his claws and severed the creature's arm, causing her to fall and land next to Kagome who quickly checked her over.

"Kagome, get yourself and her out of here!" he ordered as he turned to face his brother again.

Kagome was leaning down to help the woman to her feet when she cried out. "Inuyasha!" Kagome turned and saw the creature moving to crush them with it's remaining arm and gave a cry of her own as she saw Inuyasha leap to take the blow himself.

Suddenly Inuyasha's mother moved, producing a flower that she held out towards Inuyasha and the creature. The flower began to glow with an otherworldly light and then Kagome felt herself black out.

Sesshomaru watched as his creature was destroyed and the humans disappeared. "Jaken."

"Yes Sesshomaru-sama?" the imp grovelled.

"If this plan fails, you will die." He turned to walk away.

Jaken gulped before following. "Yes Sesshomaru-sama."

* * *

Inuyasha slowly came to. He was laying in a grassy field, Kagome still passed out beside him. He quickly checked her over and sighed in relief upon finding no injuries. He turned at movement behind him and saw the figure of his mother standing before him. "Mother?" he asked. "Where are we?"

"At the crossroads of this world and the next" she told him. "I will return to the other side from here." She smiled at him. "Inuyasha, my son. You have grown splendidly."

Inuyasha looked down at her words. "Well yeah, I was pretty little when you died."

She tilted his head up to look at her. "Forgive me. I left you all alone. And in such a terrible, violent time. You must have suffered so."

"Keh. Not really. It wasn't your fault anyway. I understood that."

Kagome slowly stirred. Her eyes opened and she spotted Inuyasha and his mother nearby. 'They're both alright' she thought with relief. Seeing them standing there made her ache for her own mother. 'Mama, do you miss me? Do you wonder if I'm alright?' She lowered her eyes, not wanting to see the reunion in front of her when she couldn't reach her own mother. Her gaze fell on the pond in front of her and she frowned. There was something about the reflection that wasn't right. She gave a startled gasp as she realized that the reflection of Inuyasha's mother had no face. She opened her mouth to call out to Inuyasha, to warn him but no sound came out, and she found that she was unable to move. 'Inuyasha' she thought, willing him to hear her somehow, 'it's a trick. That's not your mother.'

"Inuyasha, my son" the fake mother said. "I must return to the other world now."

Inuyasha felt his heart sink at her words. "Do you really have to? Can't you stay, just a little longer?"

She knelt down and picked up a flower before turning to the water and dropping it in. "Look upon the water's reflection my son. What do you see?"

Inuyasha did as he was told. Slowly an image of him as a child appeared. "What?" he asked.

Kagome struggled to move. 'Inuyasha snap out of it. It's a trick.'

Inuyasha stared at his younger self. Suddenly he felt arms wrap around him from behind and saw his mother's reflection join his. Only, something was wrong. Her reflection had no face.

She took no heed of his stiffening form. "Remember when you were little, my darling son, and I would embrace you just like this. Come let Mother hug you."

He stiffened and tried to pull away. "W-who are you? What are you?" He struggled as she pulled him into her embrace. He felt so weak.

"Ssh. Let Mother embrace you. I will never let you go again." She tightened her embrace and began to sink her hands into his back.

Kagome watched all of this with horror. 'No, I've got to stop this somehow. Why can't I move?' She focused on her power like Kaede had taught her, and her surroundings melted away to replace the illusion with reality. 'It was all an illusion, this place, his mother, everything.' She was still in the forest, only there were imps crawling along her body, with chains binding her. She felt something land on her neck.

"Kagome-sama! You must snap out of it" Myouga the flea cried as he hopped around. "Oh, who would have thought that it was Sesshomaru-sama, Inuyasha-sama's own brother that was after the tomb. And to use such a vile deception to do it. Poor Kagome-sama is all chained up and unable to move. She couldn't even swat a flea." He broke off as he stared at her neck before giving into temptation.

'Slap.' Kagome slowly sat up as she let her hand fall away from her neck. "Thanks, I think I can move now."

"Oh, good" Myouga gasped as he re-inflated with a small pop.

Kagome ignored him as she freed herself from the chains that had bound her. Then she peered through the bushes at Inuyasha and the thing pretending to be his mother. It appeared to be holding him against it's chest but she couldn't really see more than it's back from the angle she was at. Suddenly the toad-imp from earlier was there and the creature turned to face him. Kagome gasped. She appeared to be absorbing Inuyasha into her chest. 'I've got to stop this somehow' she thought as she listened to their conversation.

"Stop! What are you doing?" the toad-imp screeched. "No soul sucking until I tell you. You can have your way with him after he tells us how to find the tomb of Sesshomaru-sama's father."

The creature looked at him. "Oh, Jaken-sama? Very well."

"She's going to suck out Inuyasha's soul?! We've got to stop them." Kagome reached for her bow and arrows but felt only air. "What?" She turned and saw that they were no where around. "Oh no. I must have dropped them earlier."

"Kagome-sama, don't be hasty." Myouga hopped up and down on her shoulder. "That is Jaken, a loyal retainer of Sesshomaru-sama. He may not look like much but that staff of his is dangerous. Be wary of it."

She opened her mouth to tell him she didn't care when the faceless creature's actions caught her attention.

It drew Inuyasha further into it's chest as it spoke. "My son, my darling son. Your father's tomb, where is it? Please tell me."

Inuyasha felt so weak. He felt like he was surrounded by water and unable to breathe. His mother's voice called to him, asking him where to find his father's tomb. "I-I don't know."

"You can do better than that. Show mother the inside of your soul" it said as it clutched him tighter.

Inuyasha suddenly mumbled "The right. Black pearl." He fell silent again, unable to move.

Jaken squawked. "Black pearl? What is that supposed to mean? Get me more information!"

"But Jaken-sama, if I probe any deeper, I will shatter his soul."

Kagome's heart stopped at that. 'Shatter his soul? Inuyasha.'

But Jaken was unmoved. "Then shatter his soul. If we don't find out that information I'll be the one facing Sesshomaru-sama's wrath."

Kagome could stand it no longer. She felt anger fill her at what they planned to do to Inuyasha. She got up from where she was crouched and grabbed the staff from the little toad while kicking him into the water. "Why you little worm!" She turned to face the faceless creature and yelled "Let Inuyasha go!"

It clutched at him tighter and cried "NOO!"

Kagome ran over and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha, trying to tug him free but was unable to move him. The creature just pulled him tighter to it's body and sucked him further in. "No!" Kagome cried. "INUYASHA!"

Inuyasha felt himself stir. 'Kagome?' he thought. 'She's calling to me.' He tried to move, to go to her but he was so tired, so weak. 'I'm sorry, Kagome.' He felt his eyes close once more.

"Kagome-sama, you must awaken Inuyasha-sama's soul." Myouga said from his position on her shoulder. "That is the Un-mother. She is made up of the vengeful spirits of women who have lost their children to famine or war. She seeks to fill the void within her by taking the spirits of others, in this case Inuyasha-sama's! If you awaken the soul of one that is caught by it's spell, then the body should come free."

"But how do I wake up his soul?" Kagome asked. She was horrified to realize that Inuyasha was almost completely absorbed, only one arm remained free. "INUYASHA!" Her gaze fell on the water. The creature's reflection was holding a younger Inuyasha. "Wait, that reflection. Is that child Inuyasha? It must be part of her spell. I have to break up that image." She grabbed Jaken's staff from where she had dropped it and began beating at the water with it, erasing the image. "Inuyasha, wake up!"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open. 'Kagome! She's in trouble.' He pulled himself free and found himself crouching in front of her facing the faceless woman.

Kagome dropped the staff and knelt beside him. "Inuyasha! Are you alright?" She grasped at his arm.

He looked her over. 'Good, she's unharmed' he thought before facing the faceless one once more. "It was all a lie, a trick! How dare you!" he growled. "I can't believe I fell for it."

"All for the best, little brother." A hand grabbed Inuyasha by the throat, lifting him. "Now I know where Father's tomb is. Who would have thought it would be in such a place." Sesshomaru said as he peered into Inuyasha's face.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha gasped out. "What are you talking about?"

"Father was determined to hide it from everyone. "The Black Pearl on the right. Seeing yet never seen. Protected yet unknown to it's protector." He hid it right beneath our noses. Or more accurately, right above yours." With that Sesshomaru lifted his other hand and plunged his fingers into Inuyasha's right eye. Ignoring Inuyasha's pained scream and Kagome's horrified one, he reached in and pulled something small and round out before tossing Inuyasha aside. He stared at the small black pearl. "No wonder searching underground was useless. Father hid it deep within your right eye."

Inuyasha growled from his position on the ground, one hand clutching his wounded eye. "Bastard! All of this for that little thing? Including giving that witch the form of my mother?!" He snarled, shaking off Kagome's grip and lunged forward. "I'll make you pay for that!"

"Hmm." Sesshomaru glanced at him as he avoided his strike. "I have no time to fool around with you. If you persist in delaying me I will be forced to end your life." When Inuyasha made to attack him again, Sesshomaru simply knocked him to the ground before preparing to swipe at him with his poisonous claws. However, he struck the Un-mother instead as she threw herself protectively in front of Inuyasha.

"She protected him?!" Kagome asked as she looked at the remains of the creature.

"Of course" Myouga spoke up from Kagome's shoulder. "Demonic spirit or not, she still had a mother's heart. And isn't protecting her child something that a mother can't help but do?"

Sesshomaru looked down on the remains before crushing the head beneath his foot. "Pathetic creature" he sneered as he turned to walk away.

Anger coursed through Kagome at his actions and she moved toward him shouting "You rotten, murdering scum-!" She was cut off by Inuyasha placing a clawed hand on her shoulder and drawing her behind him.

"Kagome, don't. He'll kill you." He told her as he placed himself protectively in front of her.

She took the opportunity to glance at his face and winced at what she saw. "Inuyasha, your eye-"

"Keh. I'll be fine in a few hours wench. Fast healer, remember?" he reminded her as he wiped some blood from his face.

She could only nod as she wondered how he could be so casual about having his eye gouged out. 'And by his own brother, no less!'

Sesshomaru simply ignored them. Jaken came running up at that point, singing his lord's praises. "Oh Sesshomaru-sama you've found it! Of course you have! No one could ever hope to keep something from one as wise and powerful as you Sesshomaru-sama!" He quieted at the look directed at him. "The Staff of Two Heads, my Lord. I have retrieved it." And he held up the staff in question.

Sesshomaru took it as he said "Next time you'll lose your head with it." He examined the black pearl once more. "How long I have awaited this moment." He dropped the black pearl to the ground and slammed the point of the staff down on top of it. A black light appeared and a portal grew in the air. Sesshomaru swiftly entered followed by Jaken.

"Inuyasha-sama! You must go after them before they steal your father's treasure." Myouga said as he jumped up and down on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Let 'em. I could care less about any treasure." Inuyasha scoffed.

"But Inuyasha-sama!"

"Keh! I didn't say I wasn't going after them. I'm going to make that bastard pay for what he's done." He turned to face Kagome. "You stay here. It'll be too dangerous for you-" he trailed off as he realized that she wasn't behind him like he thought she was. Turning back around, he saw her in front of the portal.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked and stepped into the portal before he could stop her. Swearing, he leaped after her, wrapping his arms around her waist as the sensation of falling enveloped them.

* * *

Again that was the best place to leave it at. The next chapter should be up sometime tomorrow and will finish this encounter with Sesshomaru and the Tessaiga. Please let me know what you think.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: As I said previously, the updates will likely begin to slow down a bit. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

This chapter will largely follow canon aside from some minor changes.

* * *

Kagome dove through the portal, trusting that Inuyasha would follow. She knew that they couldn't let Sesshomaru get away with what he had done and still planned to do. She screamed as she felt herself falling and opened her eyes to see that she was high up in the sky and falling toward what looked like a graveyard. Strong, familiar arms wrapped around her and she calmed, knowing that Inuyasha would not allow any harm to come to her.

"Idiot" he said. "Sesshomaru's in here."

"So?" she asked. "I want a piece of him too. That was a horrible thing he did." He quieted at her words. They continued to fall in silence, then Inuyasha adjusted their position, changing their angle of descent. Kagome found herself on the back of some type of skeletal bird, with Inuyasha sitting behind her and holding it's reins to direct it. "Where do we go now?" she asked.

"Keh. My guess would be over there." She turned to look where he had indicated and had to gasp in shock.

In the distance before them was the skeletal remains of an armored figure that reminded her of a dog. But it was huge, easily larger than the tallest skyscrapers back home. She clutched at Inuyasha's arms around her waist as she asked "Wh-what is that?"

Inuyasha tightened his grip to comfort her as he replied "Father."

Kagome turned to look at him in shock. "Th-that's your father? But those bones, they're huge!"

Myouga spoke up from his spot on Inuyasha's shoulder. "That is Inuyasha's father in his true form. He was a great Taiyoukai, of immense power and stature. His remains reflect that fact. Come Inuyasha-sama. The treasure, the sword is embedded deep within his remains."

"That's what Sesshomaru is after?!" Inuyasha said as he launched himself and Kagome off of the flying skeleton to land in the mouth of his father's remains. He started to tell her to wait there but shut his mouth at the look on her face. Instead, he pulled Kagome onto his back as he leaped down the black hole leading to the remains of his father's guts. About halfway down the ribcage he slowed their descent and peered down at Sesshomaru.

His older brother approached a raised dais placed in front of the spine. They watched as he contemplated the shabby looking katana jammed tip-down into it.

Sesshomaru spoke "The Tessaiga. Said to possess the power to cut down a hundred youkai with a single swipe. Carved from the fang of my father. Holding it is the same as possessing his power. At last it is mine." He reached out to grasp the hilt. Bolts of energy crackled out, filling the air with blue fireballs, and Sesshomaru was thrown back.

Sesshomaru examined his hand before turning to glare at the sword. "I do not find this amusing, Father." He tried again, lashing out with his own power, only to meet the same results. "Father had a barrier placed to prevent the unworthy from removing the blade."

Inuyasha grew impatient and with a hurried "Wait here" he leaped down. "Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru turned. "Be more respectful, hanyou. This is our father's tomb."

"Keh! You're one to talk. You're the one trying to rob it." Inuyasha's attention was drawn by Myouga.

"Look Inuyasha-sama. It's the Tessaiga. It was carved from your father's fang and is able to cut through anything. Your father meant for you to have it, that is why it was hidden within your eye. Hurry and pull it out."

Sesshomaru turned at that. "You think that this hanyou can pull out the sword when I, Sesshomaru, could not? Very well Inuyasha, let's see you try."

"Keh. What do I need with a rusty old blade like that? I'll face you with my own claws." He lunged at Sesshomaru "Sankon Tessou!"

Sesshomaru easily dodged his attack. Inuyasha continued to strike at him but all his moves were countered or dodged. "You fight as though you are still a child." Sesshomaru taunted him.

Inuyasha growled at him and lunged again.

Myouga called out "No Inuyasha-sama! You can't fight him unarmed. Get the sword." But Inuyasha ignored him.

Kagome suddenly called down to him. "Inuyasha!"

Both brothers paused to look at her. Sesshomaru curled his lip in disgust. "You would dare to disgrace our father's final resting place by bringing a mortal woman here."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha said as he tried another punch.

"Inuyasha, hit him where it hurts." Both stopped to look at her at that as they thought 'She did not just say that'. "Hurt his pride. He couldn't draw out the sword, couldn't even touch it. If you can't hit his body, hit him in the ego and pull out the sword."

Inuyasha let an arrogant look cross his face as her words sank in. "Alright, I'll do it." He turned and strode over to the dais. "Can't wait to see the look on your face, you arrogant bastard" he taunted as he grasped the hilt and pulled. This time no barrier appeared.

Jaken squawked from where he watched. "The Tessaiga is allowing the hanyou to touch it!"

Inuyasha pulled, giving a growl with the effort but the sword would not budge. He glared at it and turned to Myouga. "I thought you said I would be able to pull it?!"

The others looked in shock at the sword still stuck to the dais before Sesshomaru spoke up. "A hanyou like you will never possess the Tessaiga. Once I have killed you, nothing will stand in my way of claiming what is mine." With that he swiped his poison claws at Inuyasha who managed to dodge at the last second.

As they began to fight again, Jaken bounced around on the ground. "That's it Sesshomaru-sama. Teach that pathetic hanyou his place. I'll help." He prepared to use the staff to shoot flames.

Kagome heard him and gave a shout of "No you won't!" as she jumped down from her perch and landed on him. She gave him a few hits to the head before he managed to throw her off of him, knocking her into the dais. She grasped the hilt of the sword to steady herself as she pulled herself to her feet, when the sight before her made her gasp. "Inuyasha!" she cried upon seeing Sesshomaru about to plunge his poison claws into his chest. She lunged forward to stop him, forgetting about the sword she still held. That is, until she felt it pull free. "Oh!" she said.

The other occupants of the tomb turned to see her standing there holding the sword. "It just came loose" she said at the looks being directed at her.

Sesshomaru stared in shock at the mortal before him. 'How was this mortal girl able to free the Tessaiga, when I, Sesshomaru, could not?' He tossed his half brother aside and lunged at the girl, causing her to give a cry of alarm. He stood inches from her and glared down at her. "What are you, that you were able to draw the Tessaiga?"

She pointed the sword at him as she nervously told him "D-don't come any closer."

"No matter. My claws will deal with you and then the Tessaiga shall be mine."

"Get away from her, you bastard!" Inuyasha snarled as he lunged toward them. "She's got nothing to do with this."

"Hmm. Worried for your bitch, Inuyasha. As you should be. Simply being your companion is reason enough for her death. But added to that is the fact that she is standing in my way." With that he turned his claws on her, spraying her with his powerful poison before blasting her into the wall.

"NOOO! KAGOME!" Inuyasha screamed as he saw the poison cover her. His heart skipped a beat. 'No, she can't be dead. She can't. Kagome.' He turned to face his brother. "You'll pay for that" he growled and lunged at him, actually managing to land a strike before he was thrown off.

Jaken watched in shock. "What is this? A moment ago he couldn't even get in spitting distance but now he was able to strike Sesshomaru-sama. Could the death of that girl have affected him so?"

"Get back here, Sesshomaru. I'll kill you!" Inuyasha yelled as he attacked again.

"Why so angry Inuyasha? There are a million more just like her." Sesshomaru said as he struck out with his claws.

"Bastard, there's no other like her in all the world. She was special and you'll pay for her death." He lunged again. 'Kagome why couldn't you have just stayed where you were safe, why did you have to follow me?'

A sudden movement caught their attention and they paused to see the Tessaiga raise itself from the poison as Kagome sat up with a gasp. "Oh, I thought I was dead!" she cried as she checked herself over.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried as he leaped to her side, pulling her to her feet. He quickly checked her over but found no signs of injury and pulled her into a rough embrace. "Baka, I thought you were dead."

Kagome blushed at his actions. 'He was that worried about me?' She recalled what she heard when she was covered by the poison. 'Did he really say that or was I imagining it?'

"How sickening." Sesshomaru's voice intruded on the pair. 'The shield spell must have protected her from the poison.'

"You! You tried to kill me!" Kagome yelled as she spotted him. She ignored Inuyasha's attempts to silence and shield her as she told Sesshomaru "I'm going to make you pay for that." She turned to Inuyasha and handed him the sword. "Here. This sword is great, now go make him pay."

"Right" he said as he gave her an odd look before standing in front of her. "You're going down, Sesshomaru!"

"Feh. Let us see what a disgusting hanyou like yourself can do with the pure power of the Tessaiga against the equally pure power of this Sesshomaru." His eyes turned red and his body began to grow.

Kagome clutched at the back of Inuyasha's haori as Sesshomaru's form expanded and he transformed into a huge white demonic dog that possessed the same markings. "He-he transformed?!"

"Keh! He's back in his true form is all." Inuyasha said as he tried not to show how worried he was. 'I hope all that hype about this sword is right. I can't fail or Kagome's the one who will be hurt.' He raised the Tessaiga and lunged forward, shouting "It'll soon be a dead form." He swung the sword and struck Sesshomaru's head, only for the blade to bounce off. "What?" he said as he landed back on the ground in front of Kagome. "He doesn't have a scratch on him!"

He turned his head to look at Myouga, still sitting on his shoulder. "Oi! What's the big idea, you little blood sucker?! I thought you said this sword was strong and would cut through anything?!" He grabbed Kagome and leaped out of the way as Sesshomaru drove a claw down where they had been standing. He quickly leaped up, heading out of his father's body. "Come on, it's too dangerous in here." He saw Sesshomaru drive his body into their father's chest and outside, but continued his ascent. He set Kagome down within his father's mouth and told her "Stay here" as he jumped to his father's shoulder to face Sesshomaru who was waiting in the air.

Myouga spoke up quickly. "Inuyasha-sama, you must have faith in the demonic power of the Tessaiga. It was carved from the fang of your father and possesses his power. Never let it out of your grasp!" And with that the cowardly flea jumped from his shoulder calling out "See you in the next life!" as he made his escape.

"Coward!" Inuyasha called after him as he dodged another swipe. "How the hell am I supposed to draw blood with this thing?!" He glared at the sword before striking it against Sesshomaru's front leg.

"That's it Inuyasha" Kagome called from behind him. "I think you hurt him that time."

Inuyasha shot a look at her. "That didn't even make him blink. What are you so cheerful for? Don't you realize how much danger you're in?"

"But, you've got your father's sword. I believe in you, I know you can beat him." She gave him a look of such trust and hope that he felt his heart speed up in his chest.

He didn't want to burst her bubble but he had to make her face the reality of the situation. She had to know just how dangerous this was. "Keh! This rusted old thing couldn't hurt a flea like Myouga. My body may be able to withstand his attacks but you're just a weak human. If he manages to land a strike on you-" Inuyasha couldn't finish the thought. He didn't want to contemplate the consequences if he failed.

Apparently he was a little too blunt in his assessment. Tears began to pool in her blue eyes as his words sank in. "You mean that I should just give up?"

His heart clenched painfully at the sight of those tears. 'I didn't mean to make her cry.' He hastened to correct her. "That's not what I meant. Don't cry. What I meant was let me protect you." She dried her tears at that and gave him a small smile. He felt his heart unclench and he turned to face his brother once more. 'I won't fail. I can't. Kagome needs me.' He made to lunge forward when the sword in his hands gave a sudden pulse.

'Is that...a heartbeat?' he wondered as he stared at the sword. It pulsed again and then a light wrapped around the sword as it transformed into a large, gleaming piece of enchanted metal. "A fang?" He stared at it before smirking at Sesshomaru. "You're going down now."

Sesshomaru snarled and leaped at him, snapping his jaws but Inuyasha dodged and swung the sword again. This time when he struck the leg the sword easily cut through flesh and bone, severing it. Inuyasha stared at the sword in his hands. "It is a fang. Guess my old man did leave me something worthwhile after all."

He looked up as Sesshomaru made to attack again. "Don't you get it? Compared to our father, we're like a couple of fleas jumping around." Sesshomaru merely snarled at him. "I may not have any memories of him, but I'd rather give up an eye than give up this sword. He meant for me to have it, he left it hidden in my eye. Guess I'm not so worthless after all." He dodged Sesshomaru's strike and lunged forward, swinging the Tessaiga to glance off of Sesshomaru's chest.

Sesshomaru howled in pain before vanishing in a ball of light. Jaken suddenly appeared and ran after him calling "Sesshomaru-sama, wait for me!" as he leaped into the light and it disappeared.

Inuyasha turned back to Kagome to make sure she was alright. "Keh. I take it back. This sword isn't a piece of junk." A sensation on his neck drew his attention and he raised his hand to slap it.

"Ow." Pop. "Well done, Inuyasha-sama. You have discovered the secret to wielding the Tessaiga. I never doubted you for a minute." He stopped when he saw Inuyasha's hand descending.

"Keh! Not even when you ran away before? I should squash you for that."

The flea hastily interjected. "Wait, I didn't run away. Look, I was procuring you a ride home as well as locating the sheathe to the Tessaiga." Inuyasha and Kagome turned and saw one of the skeletal birds waiting on his father's shoulder.

Inuyasha turned to look at the flea in surprise. "Then you didn't run away? I guess I owe you an apology."

Myouga looked at the open and trusting expression on Inuyasha's face and couldn't lie. He threw himself down to prostrate himself on Inuyasha's shoulder as he cried "I did run away. I'm sorry Inuyasha-sama. Please forgive me, I'll never doubt you again." He quieted as he felt himself squashed between two fingers. "Ah. Such is the life of a flea."

Inuyasha turned to Kagome. "Come on, let's get out of here." He helped her onto the bird's back and they rode back to the portal before leaping into it and exiting the graveyard. Once back on their side, they watched as the portal vanished back into the form of a black pearl before sinking back inside Inuyasha's eye and returning it to it's normal appearance.

Kagome sighed in relief to see his eye healed and back to normal. She smiled at him and said "Come on, let's go back to the village. It's late and Kaede-sama is probably worried by now." She grabbed his hand and began to lead him to the village, ignoring his blush at her behavior. But he found he was content to allow her to lead him.

Myouga simply observed everything from his position on Inuyasha's shoulder and made plans to confront his lord at a later time.

* * *

And that finishes that encounter with Sesshomaru. The next chapter will have original material. It should be up in a day or two.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: As I said previously, the updates will likely begin to slow down a bit. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

Please review. Does Inuyasha seem too out of character in this chapter? I wasn't sure if I had gotten his reactions correctly.

* * *

Inuyasha hefted the Tessaiga in his hands as he swung it a few times, as he thought about his ability to wield it. They had returned to Kaede's hut and explained their adventure to the worried miko. Afterward, he had come out to this field to practice with his sword. He had become frustrated at first when it wouldn't transform but had calmed himself by thinking about Kagome and her unwavering trust in him. He had vowed to himself to always protect her and give her no reason to doubt her faith in him. At that thought the rusty blade had transformed into the powerful fang and staring at it he had realized that it was his desire to protect her that caused the transformation. He paused in his movements and thoughts as he felt a presence land on his shoulder. "What do you want Myouga-jiji? If you're looking for a snack, you can forget it."

"I'm hurt that you would think so poorly of me Inuyasha-sama" the flea spoke up from where it had been examining his neck. He turned his gaze to the transformed blade. "Very good, Inuyasha-sama. I see that you have learned the secret of the fang."

"Keh. I know it transforms based on my wanting to protect Kagome, if that's what you mean."

The flea-youkai felt himself freeze in shock at those words. He honestly hadn't thought the hanyou would realize that fact yet. "Yes, the Tessaiga was forged by your father to protect your mortal mother. It was your feelings towards mortals that allowed you to wield the fang."

'Not mortals, but one mortal. Kagome' Inuyasha thought as he glanced back toward the village.

"Yes, Inuyasha-sama" Myouga continued on, ignorant of Inuyasha's thoughts "that is why you could wield the Tessaiga when Sesshomaru could not. His hatred of humans makes it impossible for him to ever wield the Tessaiga." The flea youkai peered closely at the hanyou's face before asking "Inuyasha-sama, what is Kagome-sama to you? Even I can tell that she is a special person."

Inuyasha felt himself blush at the question and began to bluster. "K-keh! She's not anyone important. I just don't want to see her get hurt, is all."

Myouga stared intently at him. "Are you sure that is all? Her presence doesn't affect you at all? Your heart doesn't beat faster when she is near? Or your youki feel calmed by her presence?"

Inuyasha felt his blush increase as he wondered just how Myouga knew all of this. "Keh. There's nothing special about her presence. Why should I care about that bitch" He said instead, not noticing the slip he made.

Myouga noticed his slip but made no mention of it. 'He thinks of her as his bitch already? This is more serious than I first thought.' Instead he said "I think that you are lying to yourself Inuyasha-sama. If I were you I wouldn't let Kagome-sama get away. You won't ever find another person like her again. She completes you, is your missing half." The flea youkai made to depart but was stopped by Inuyasha's hand.

"Wh-what do you mean that she completes me?"

Myouga peered at him intently before answering. "Everybody has that one special person that is the other half of them, the one that their soul calls out to. You may fall in love with someone who is not the other half of your soul but it is never as special, as intense as when you find the one that completes you. Your mother was the one that completed your father."

Inuyasha gulped as he digested these words. "H-how do you know when you've found your other half?" he asked.

"You will simply know. There will be an instant connection. You will feel complete when they are near, feel pain when they are hurt or sad. You will want to protect them from everything." Myouga stared at him again. "Also, your father once told me that he knew by Izayoi-sama's scent. He said that to him it was the most wonderful scent, he had never smelled anything like it before or since. For an Inu-youkai, they will be able to tell their other half by their scent." And with that the flea youkai left his master to contemplate his words as he hopped away.

Inuyasha stood there in silence for a long moment. "Keh! What a load of crap." But as he turned away, he looked back towards Kaede's hut once more and couldn't help but wonder if maybe Myouga spoke the truth. Kagome's image flashed through his mind, and with a sigh he sheathed his blade before returning to Kaede's hut and the girl from the future.

* * *

Kagome awoke with a start. She had been dreaming about the encounter with the Un-Mother, only this time she hadn't been able to free Inuyasha. She felt tears fill her eyes as she thought about what could have happened if she was too late. She also wondered about her own mother. How did she feel not knowing where Kagome was, what she was doing? She felt her tears increase before she was drawn against a hard chest.

Inuyasha had been sitting against the wall, holding the Tessaiga to his chest when his ears had detected her faint sobs. He opened his eyes as the scent of her tears reached him. He stared at Kagome for a moment, her soft sobs causing his heart to clench painfully, as he wondered how to calm her down. After a few moments he could take the sound of her tears no longer, and he laid the Tessaiga on the ground before moving to kneel beside her and drew her to his chest.

"Ssh. It's alright wench. It was just a bad dream." Inuyasha held her as she cried out her fears and worries against his chest, holding her tucked beneath his chin. When the tears finally stopped and she had calmed down he asked "Feel better?"

She nodded, too embarrassed to look at him. He tilted her chin up and asked her "What brought that on?"

"I dreamed about the Un-Mother and what would have happened if I hadn't been able to wake you."

He interrupted her before she could start to cry again. "Keh. Is that all? Don't worry about it. It's in the past. Besides, no way a weakling like that would have been able to kill me" he boasted, trying to make her smile.

But her frown remained. "It also made me think about my own mother, and what she must be going through right now. She must be so worried. I miss her so much." And she felt tears prickle at her eyes again.

Inuyasha began to panic when he saw her about to start crying again. "Don't worry, you'll see her again. I told you I'd help you find a way home, didn't I?" He ignored how his heart clenched painfully at the reminder that she would leave him.

She dried her eyes and offered him a smile. "You're right. And I still haven't tried the well. It will probably let me through if Kaede-sama's theory is right. Maybe we could try it tomorrow?" she asked still upset by how much she missed her mother. She ignored the way her heart skipped a beat at the thought of leaving Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's heart seemed to leap into his throat at her words. 'She wants to leave me?' He swallowed painfully and said "Sure, if you want to. But for now it's time to sleep." He laid her back down and watched as she fell asleep. But instead of sleeping himself, he remained awake all night and drank in the sight of her, memorizing her, as he was sure that tomorrow he would lose her forever.

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha stood alone in the clearing beside the Bone Eater's Well. Kagome had already said goodbye to Kaede, who had duties to attend to in the village and could not come herself. Kagome fidgeted as she stood there. Her feelings were so mixed up. She was eager to try the well and get home, anxious about whether it would work, and at the same time she didn't want to leave Inuyasha. Her heart gave a pang at the mere thought of leaving him and never seeing him again. She glanced at him before looking away, not knowing what to say. She thought about asking him to come with her but didn't know if the well would let him through, didn't even know if it would let her through. 'Besides' she thought as she glanced at him again. 'He wouldn't be able to fit into my time. It's too different from everything he's ever known.'

Inuyasha stood there looking anywhere but at her. This was it, she was going to leave him. He wanted to tell her not to go, to stay with him but couldn't. Her family was waiting for her, probably worried out of there minds. He couldn't ask her to stay and give all of that up for him.

Kagome fidgeted once more, looking at the well before turning to Inuyasha. She pasted a fake smile on her face. "Well, I guess this is it." She stared at him as he refused to look at her as she fidgeted again. "Thank you for everything, Inuyasha. I don't know what I would have done without you." When he didn't say anything she sighed and said "Well, wish me luck."

Inuyasha turned as she sat down on the well, preparing to jump down into it's depths and out of his life. He was filled with the sudden urge to grab her, destroy the well, and run as far from this place as he could but he ruthlessly squashed it. He wanted to beg her to stay,to say anything but goodbye. He didn't want to feel this way. Instead he told her "Keh! Just hurry up and go already wench." He didn't mean it. He was praying that it wouldn't work, that she wouldn't be able to get through, but he knew he was just being selfish. 'She's got family there, people who love her. She doesn't belong here.' He ignored the voice inside of him that was screaming that she belonged with him. He turned to her and said "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Kagome felt her face fall. She didn't know what she was expecting, a hug, or him begging her to stay, or anything but this. She felt her heart sink at his apparent eagerness to get rid of her. 'It's like he can't wait to get rid of me. Was I really just a burden?' she thought sadly. She ignored how her heart felt like it was breaking at the thought of never seeing him again. She pasted on a fake smile as she said "Well, here goes" and she threw herself forward into the well.

She hit the bottom with a painful thump. "Oww." There had been no blue light, no weightless sensation, just a sudden impact with the ground.

Inuyasha had turned away when she pushed herself into the well. He was afraid he would snatch her out of the air if he didn't. But his ears perked up when he heard the thump and her pained exclamation. He could still hear her, could still smell her. Did it not work? He felt his hopes begin to soar.

Kagome raised her head to look up and out of the well. Instead of the roof of the old shrine she saw clear skies. Tears prickled at her eyes as she realized that it hadn't worked, that she was still stuck in the past. 'I can't get home and Inuyasha obviously doesn't want me around. What am I going to do now?'

Inuyasha turned around as the scent of her tears hit him. 'She's crying.' His ears drooped as he berated himself for being happy about something that obviously caused her pain. He leaned over the well to face her. "Oi, are you alright down there?" he called but got no answer. Worried that she might have hurt herself when she jumped, he leaped in after her. "Wench?" he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder but his actions only made her cry harder.

"Kagome" he said as he looked sadly at her, not knowing what to say to comfort her. "Oi, d-don't cry bitch."

That made her look up and she leveled a glare at him through her tears. "How dare you?! I can't get home and you call me names and tell me not to cry. Just leave me alone."

His ears drooped and he took a step back. What had he said? 'I only called her a...' His thoughts trailed off as he realized what he called her. 'I didn't even realize I was referring to her that way. How did she come to mean so much to me in such a short amount of time?' Then he recalled her words and felt his heart clench even more. 'S-she obviously doesn't feel the same way. She's probably disgusted by me. Who can blame her. Why would she want to be with a filthy hanyou.' Movement caught his eye and he turned to watch her.

She rose to her feet and tried to climb out of the well only for her foot to painfully give out on her. 'I must have twisted my ankle when I landed' she thought as she felt herself begin to fall. But strong arms caught her before she could fall and hurt herself further.

Inuyasha picked her up and leaped out of the well. "Keh. Can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?" he joked trying to cheer her up but his words only deepened the scent of her despair. "Oi, I know the well didn't work but I'm sure there's another way for you to get home. We just have to look for it" he told her, ignoring the pain his words caused his own heart. 'At least this way I'll have her for a while longer' he thought.

She felt her heart clench at his words. 'He can't wait to get rid of me. He's probably upset that the well didn't work and now feels that he has to find another way to get rid of me.' She turned her face so that he couldn't see it. "That's okay Inuyasha. You don't have to help me. I'm sure I can find a way home by myself." She told him, not wanting him to feel obligated to her. She ignored the heart ache her words caused herself.

'She doesn't want me around?' he thought as he felt his heart shatter at her words. He turned and began to head back to the village, the girl his heart longed for cradled in his arms. 'Why should she? I'm just a hanyou, I've got nothing to offer her. I should just leave her in the village. She'll be looked after and accepted there once I leave.' The beginnings of a plan forming in his mind, he quickly headed to Kaede's hut. Upon reaching the hut, he entered and laid her down on a futon.

Kaede looked up at their entrance. One look at the expression on Kagome's face told her the story. "I am sorry child" she told her.

Inuyasha turned to her. "Oi baba, you might want to check her over. She hurt her ankle in the fall." He moved aside and watched as Kaede quickly checked over the distraught girl and took care of her injury. While she worked he continued thinking about what he should do. 'She'll be safe here, Kaede-baba won't let anything happen to her. And the villagers haven't tried anything at all since she's been here, they seem to respect her as a miko in training.' He drank in one last look at her as he stood and prepared to leave.

His movement caught Kagome's attention. "Inuyasha?" she asked. "Where are you going?" She immediately kicked herself. It wasn't any of her business what he did.

"Keh. I'm healed and it's time for me to be moving on. I don't belong here."

Kaede spoke up from her place by the fire. "There is no reason for you to leave Inuyasha. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like."

"No thanks baba. I don't belong in a human village. And besides, there's nothing holding me here, nothing I need or want" he said while ignoring how his heart and soul were screaming at him, calling him a liar. 'I'm doing this for her. She doesn't want me. She'll be better off once I'm gone.'

Kagome had felt herself freeze at his words. 'He's leaving?' She wanted to tell him not to go, to stay but she couldn't. 'No. Much as I want him to stay, I can't do that do him. I don't want to be a burden.' She felt tears well up in her eyes but refused to let them fall as she watched him leave in silence. Once he was out of sight and she could no longer sense him nearby, she gave into the urge to cry as she threw herself against the futon and sobbed out the pain of her broken heart.

* * *

Please don't kill me, I won't be able to post the next chapter if you do. I promise that the next chapter will be up soon. Things will get better, you'll see.


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: As I said previously, the updates will likely begin to slow down a bit. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

Warning: Groping and sexual assault/attempted rape. If you don't like that type of thing then don't read.

* * *

Five days. It had been five days since she had tried to go home through the well and failed. Five days since she learned that she was trapped in the past. Five days since she had returned to the village. Five days since Inuyasha had left. She stifled a sob at that last one. Surprisingly, that was what hurt the most.

She sighed as she continued on her walk around the outskirts of the village. Kaede-sama had been very understanding and supportive upon learning that Kagome had not been able to return home. She had offered the theory that it was the Shikon no Tama that had allowed her to pass through the well in the first place and now that it was gone, the well was sealed. Needless to say, that information hadn't exactly cheered Kagome up. But Kaede-sama had told her that she could remain with her for as long as she needed, had even offered to take her as an apprentice. Kagome was flattered but wasn't sure if she really wanted to be a miko. Still, she didn't feel right staying with Kaede and not earning her keep, and so she had taken to helping Kaede with some of her tasks around the village. It was simple work and kept her mind busy, most of the time.

That was what brought her here. She had been collecting some herbs for Kaede-sama from one of the nearby meadows and was on her way back when she had decided to take the long way around. She wanted some time to herself without having to face the villagers' curious looks and whispers, and so had walked around to enter the village through the less populated side, far from where most of the villagers would be working in the fields. The reason for her need for solitude was that there had been a few times over the last few days where she had spotted a flash of red or thought that she had detected Inuyasha's presence but each time she turned the feeling was gone. She stopped and rubbed at her face. 'Baka' she thought. 'Just forget about him. He's gone and he's not going to come back.' But she found she couldn't forget him, he was always on her mind.

She sighed and started to walk again. But as she walked past one of the huts, a hand shot out and grabbed her, pulling her inside before she could even draw breath to scream. She found her arms pinned to her sides by a strong arm while another held a hand over her mouth. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting inside the hut, she saw two more figures standing before her. Her heart began to pound within her chest as she recognized them as some of the men who had captured her on her first day in the past, before she met Inuyasha. Her fear increased when she recalled that these were the ones who had called her a whore and had wanted to rape her.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" the obvious leader of the three spoke up. "If it isn't the little whore. You may have fooled the others with your little act but we know the truth. You're no miko, just a regular whore."

As they came closer, she could smell the sake on their breath and she began to struggle. But she was unable to get loose, the man holding her was too strong.

"Now, darling, don't struggle so much or Daisuke might be forced to hurt you." She felt the pressure increase, cutting off her air, and she ceased struggling. "Now that's a good little whore. We're all going to have some fun now, aren't we?" They laughed, causing her terror to increase and she shivered.

The one holding her, Daisuke suddenly spoke. "Hey Kenji, I think she likes that idea. She's trembling with anticipation." They laughed again.

The leader, Kenji, suddenly came up to her and grabbed her breasts through her kosode. "You like that don't you?" he leered before doubling over as she managed to kick him in the stomach. She bit down on Daisuke's fingers and when he moved his hand, she opened her mouth to scream. She was cut off by Kenji's hand slapping her across the face and knocking her back into Daisuke. "You're going to pay for that, you little whore!" She felt blood trickle from a cut on her lip.

"Daisuke, Ichiro hold her" he ordered the other two as he jammed a foul smelling rag into her mouth, causing her to gag. The other two grabbed her and lowered her to the ground while Kenji straddled her legs, preventing her from retaliating. She felt him reach for her kosode and she began to struggle again. He slapped her again, causing her to see stars. "What's the matter you little whore?! We're not good enough for you?! You'll fuck that youkai but not us?!"

Kagome felt herself freeze at his words. 'What? Does he mean Inuyasha?' Kenji noticed her shock and sneered at her. "That's right you little whore. We know the truth. You are nothing but the whore of a youkai. And now that he's gone and left you here, you're going to be our whore." With that he pulled open her kosode and began to roughly grab her breasts.

Kagome laid there in pain and shock. Her mind and heart called out to the one she trusted above all others. 'Inuyasha!'

* * *

Inuyasha looked up from his spot in the Goshinboku. Despite his words and promises to himself, he hadn't been able to leave. He had stayed nearby, watching over the girl his heart called out for from afar. He hadn't been able to get her off of his mind, and had decided that as long as she didn't know he was there it would be alright. He had been careful to stay out of range of her senses though a few times he thought she might have picked up on his presence.

He sighed and shook his head. For some reason he thought he had heard her voice calling his name. 'That's ridiculous' he told himself. 'She's nowhere nearby. She's safe in the village. Besides, why would she call for me?' But he couldn't get the thought out of his mind. She had sounded so scared.

He stood up and started to bound for the village. 'I'm just going to check on her, make sure she's alright' he told himself, vowing to stay out of sight. But as he neared the village his bad feeling only continued to grow and he found himself leaping through the fields and the village, ignoring the panicked shouts his sudden appearance caused.

He paused in the center of the village, extending his senses before turning and bounding towards the other, less populated side of the village. 'Hang on Kagome, I'm coming!' he thought as he ran as fast as he could. He saw a basket of herbs on the ground outside one of the huts, and his nose picked up the scent of Kagome's blood and tears. With a snarl, he hurled himself inside the hut.

His rage only grew as he saw Kagome held down by two men while a third straddled her, groping her exposed chest. He launched himself forward, striking the one who would dare touch what is his and knocking him away from her. The other two hastily released Kagome and ran for the exit, the third crawling after them. Inuyasha started to follow with a growl but was stopped by Kagome's sobs.

"Inu-Inuyasha" she cried, reaching for him. He looked out the door once more before deciding that he could wait to teach them a lesson, Kagome was far more important. He knelt beside her and pulled her into his embrace, letting her sob out her fears against his chest. "You, you came back. You saved me again" she said through her tears.

His heart clenched at that. "Always" he said as he rocked her, soothing her. He felt her start to calm down and he began to release her.

Kagome felt him start to let go and began to worry that he was going to leave her again. She grabbed onto him, hugging him tight as she begged "Don't go! Please, don't leave me alone again."

Inuyasha was shocked. "But I thought you wanted me to leave?" he said.

She raised tear-filled eyes to stare at him. "What?"

"Back at the well. You told me you didn't need me. You wanted me to leave you alone." His ears drooped against his head as he remembered her words.

She stared at him in shock. "But- That's not what I meant. I thought you saw me as a burden, an obligation that you couldn't wait to get rid of. You had seemed so eager for me to leave and I didn't want you to feel like you were stuck with me."

It was his turn to gape at her. "Stupid Bitch" he said shaking his head at her. "I only acted that way because I didn't want you to go. But I couldn't ask you to stay with me, you have a family, a life there and I have nothing to offer you."

She felt herself bristle at the perceived insult but then the rest of his words sank in. 'He didn't want me to leave him?' "But why did you leave then?"

"Keh. I thought you didn't want me around. I figured that you would be safe in the village if I left. But I couldn't just leave you, so I stayed nearby, watching over you. I'm glad I did, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten here in time." He growled and slammed his fist into the ground. "It shouldn't have happened. I should have been here. I thought you would be safe."

It was now Kagome's turn to calm Inuyasha down. "It's okay Inuyasha. You got here in time. You saved me. I'm safe now that you're here."

At her words he pulled her closer to him and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her calming scent. He felt himself relax. Then a commotion outside caught his attention, and he rose. Feeling her start to panic he told her "I'm not going anywhere wench. But we've got company and should probably head outside." He helped her fix her clothing before stepping outside, Kagome held protectively against his side.

In the meantime, while Inuyasha had been comforting Kagome and clearing up their misunderstanding, Kenji and his friends had run to the other villagers for help.

"I tell you he is a beast!" Kenji exclaimed. "He attacked us for no reason. Why has he returned to the village? He probably means to kill us all and burn our homes to the ground. We must destroy him!" He was quickly riling up the other villagers.

Kaede came running up to the crowd of villagers, drawn by the commotion. "What is this? What is going on here?"

Yoshi turned to where he had been listening to Kenji and the others. "Kaede-sama, these men claim that the hanyou has returned to the village, and that he attacked them for no reason. They say that even now he is doing unthinkable things to the young miko."

"Preposterous!" Kaede said. "Inuyasha would never harm Kagome-sama. I am sure that this is all just a misunderstanding. Let me speak with them and I will clear it all up."

Kenji spoke up suddenly. "Meaning no disrespect to you Kaede-sama, but you are the one who allowed the beast into the village in the first place. How do we know that he doesn't have you under some dark spell."

Kaede felt her eye widen at the implication against herself, even as she heard several others murmur agreements. "Bah, you fools. Do you doubt my abilities as a miko so much?" There was the sound of feet shuffling as none dared to look at the angry miko. "All of you come with me and we will discover the truth of this matter together."

She turned and walked toward the hut that the men had indicated, followed by the village men. As they paused outside it, Inuyasha exited with Kagome clutched tightly to his side. He began to growl as he took in the sight of all of the armed villagers. Spotting Kaede he asked "Oi, baba, what's the big idea?"

"That is what I would like to know, Inuyasha." She gestured to Kenji and his friends as they tried to slip into the crowd. "These men have made grave accusations against you, that you attacked them, and we are here to discover the truth."

Inuyasha's eyes fell on the men she indicated and his growl grew louder as he recognized them as the men who had attacked Kagome. "Keh! So what if I attacked them? Move aside and I'll finish the job."

Kaede's eye widened at his tone. 'What could have occurred to make him act this way?' she wondered. Her eye fell on Kagome, huddled against his side and she had a sinking feeling within her chest. She had also recognized Kenji and the others as part of the group that encountered Kagome that first day a week ago, and cursed herself for never finding out the complete story of that meeting. She noticed that the other villagers had raised their weapons in preparation at his words and wondered how she would be able to defuse this situation.

"See! I told you, he's a monster! A beast! We have to get rid of him!" Kenji yelled to the other men who began to murmur in agreement.

Kagome listened from her place against Inuyasha's side. She flinched at Kenji's voice but his words only angered her. "Shut up!" she cried. "Inuyasha is not a monster!" But as she spoke she moved, giving the villagers a clear look at her disheveled appearance and the bruise on her face.

The men began to murmur again, believing Inuyasha to be responsible. "Look at what the monster has done to the young miko" was one of the things the villagers were saying to one another. As their words reached Inuyasha he growled louder, and shifted to shield her from their view.

Yoshi stepped forward. "Kagome-sama, I believe you are confused, disoriented. Please step away from him before he injures you further."

Kagome felt Inuyasha's grip tighten at the headman's words but she could only stand there in disbelief. "Inuyasha's not the one who hurt me. He's not the monster. They are!" She pointed at Kenji and his friends.

The villagers were extremely confused at this point. Many had seen the young miko around the village helping Kaede and had had a few interactions with her. They had seen her to be a kind person. So why was she protecting this youkai and insisting that he was innocent when they could see the evidence of his guilt as clear as day? And why was she throwing accusations at the men the youkai had attacked?

Kenji, sensing the mood of the crowd changing, spoke up quickly. "You can't listen to her! It's obvious that she's under his spell."

Kaede shot him a look to silence him before she spoke up. "I believe that we are missing something. I don't believe that Inuyasha would have harmed Kagome-sama, not after what I have seen of their interactions." She turned to Kagome and asked "Why don't you tell us what happened?"

Kagome clutched tighter at Inuyasha, seeking the comfort of his presence before she began to explain. She told how she had been returning from gathering herbs when she had been pulled into the hut by Kenji and the others. How they had called her a whore, and said that they were going to have some fun with her. How they had pinned her down and groped her, tearing open her clothing. And how Inuyasha had rescued her, throwing Kenji off of her. She buried her face against Inuyasha's chest as tears again began to flow as she related the events.

The village men lowered their weapons in confusion. Here was a miko telling them that men from their own village had attacked her and a youkai had rescued her. They didn't want to believe it but her heartbreaking sobs were too much for them to doubt her. Even more strange and telling was the way the youkai was offering her comfort. Who had ever heard of a caring youkai? How could he be so gentle with the young miko and still have done what their fellow villagers had said he did?

Kenji saw them lower their weapons and sensed the change in the air. He tried to salvage the situation. "Don't tell me you believe her!" He watched as the men shifted uncomfortably. "You would take the word of the whore of a youkai over that of men you've known all your lives?!" Too late he realized what he had said. The other villagers started at his words. Had he really just called the miko a youkai's whore?

Inuyasha growled dangerously at his words. 'Whore of a youkai! He did not just call MY BITCH that!' He remembered hearing that insult hurled against his mother and felt his blood boil with rage. He wanted to rip out the man's throat. He felt the Tessaiga pulse against his side as if agreeing with him, as if it wanted him to draw it against the man who would dare harm Kagome and call her that foul name. He started to move forward but was stopped as Kagome still clung to his side. Deciding that she was more important he remained where he was to watch the confrontation unfold.

At Kenji's words, Yoshi had turned to face him. "So Kagome-sama's story is true. You did refer to her as a whore and try to take advantage of her. How could you do something like that to a miko, someone of such purity?" He was livid with the men before him.

Ichiro and Daisuke seemed to realize the danger that they were in and threw themselves down to prostrate themselves but Kenji remained unmoved. "Why are you treating her with such respect?!" he yelled. "She is no miko! She is nothing but a Youkai's Whore! Don't you see the way she holds herself against him? And you didn't see the way she was dressed that first day! I tell you she is nothing but a whore! And she's the one responsible for bringing a youkai into the village!"

Inuyasha snarled. He could listen to this no more. He gently unlatched Kagome from his side before darting forward to launch a punch at Kenji, shattering his jaw. He then returned to Kagome and pulled her back against his side.

The villagers reeled in shock at how fast he had moved. They stared at the crumpled form on the ground and back at the hanyou hugging the miko to his side and wondered what they should do. Kaede spoke up at that moment. "I believe that we have heard enough. It is clear that Kenji and the others were the aggressors and not Inuyasha. The only matter left is to decide their punishment." She turned to Yoshi. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, of course Kaede-sama. Attacking a miko is a most severe crime and must be punished. I will call a village meeting to decide their fate." He gestured to several men. "Bring them to the center of the village and guard them." The men hastened to obey.

Kaede turned to Inuyasha. "Please bring Kagome-sama to my hut. You will be safe there and she has been through enough this day. She doesn't need to face anymore."

He merely grunted before lifting her into his arms and bounding off for the old miko's hut. Once there he entered and sat down against the wall, Kagome cradled against his chest. "Ssh. It's alright" he told her as he felt her body tremble against his. He continued to hold her long after she had calmed and fallen into an exhausted sleep.

He didn't know how long he sat there, holding her and breathing in her relaxing scent. He knew that a few hours had passed by the time Kaede returned.

She glanced at the pair before going to make tea. "How is she?" she asked.

"Exhausted" was his reply. She merely nodded, having expected that. "What happened at the meeting?" he asked. He wanted to know the fate of the men, make sure they couldn't come after Kagome again.

"Attacking a miko is one of the most severe crimes in this country. They have been executed" Kaede watched as he processed this information.

He merely nodded and said "Good." He glanced at the girl in his arms before pinning the old woman with a glare. "She doesn't need to know that."

Kaede simply nodded and turned back to the fire where she now had a pot of stew on. As the stew finished cooking, Kagome began to stir before bolting upright with a startled gasp.

"Easy wench. You're safe" Inuyasha told her as he continued to hold her.

She looked at him. "It wasn't a dream?" she asked him. "You came back?"

He pulled her against him, resting his chin on her head. "No, it wasn't a dream. And yes I came back for you" 'always' he finished in his mind.

He moved to place her by the fire, sitting next to her as Kaede began spooning food into bowls. Kagome accepted one of the bowls and stared at it's contents before looking up and asking "The men who attacked me?"

Kaede answered her. "Have been punished by the village. You don't have to worry that they will come after you again." Kagome glanced between her and Inuyasha before nodding and beginning to eat. Kaede looked at the two sitting together. "I trust that the two of you have worked out your misunderstanding." She smiled as they blushed and nodded. "Good. It was painful to watch Kagome moping around here missing you, Inuyasha." She laughed as their blushes deepened but then let them be to eat in peace.

Once they had finished and set the bowls aside Kaede sighed before beginning to speak. "I must tell you that there was some anger and resentment from some of the villagers. They know that Kenji and the others were wrong but are angry that they were forced to punish them because of what they see as outsiders. They also are frightened by your presence Inuyasha, fearing that you will attack them for Kenji's actions."

"Keh! What do I care how they feel?" But his glance at Kagome told Kaede that he understood how dangerous the situation could become.

"Yes, I know that you wouldn't harm them but they don't. I spoke with Yoshi-sama and we agreed that it would be best if you left the village for a time, Inuyasha, to allow tempers to cool."

Inuyasha immediately bristled. "No way am I leaving Kagome alone, baba. I tried that already and look what happened."

Kagome had also tensed against his side, clutching at his sleeve as if afraid he would leave. She spoke up quickly, "And I won't stay in the village without him Kaede-sama. Not after today." She shuddered as the memories flashed through her mind but calmed as Inuyasha pulled her against his side and ran a hand through her hair.

Kaede watched them interact before responding. "I had no intention of separating you and Kagome-sama. I believe that the two of you had wanted to search for possible ways of returning Kagome-sama to her home. Now would be a perfect opportunity to begin."

Inuyasha and Kagome sat there thinking about it for a few minutes before agreeing. They settled in for the night after making plans to depart the next day.

* * *

Poor Kagome. But I promise to leave off torturing her like this for awhile. Inuyasha's not going to let any men near her anytime soon for it to happen again. Though after these experiences how do you think Inuyasha and Kagome will react to Miroku when they finally meet and he pulls his usual activity? The next chapter should be up in a few days. I'm busy at work this week and one scene is giving me a lot of trouble which is the reason for the delay.


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Sorry I took so long to update but I had real life issues. My laptop started acting up on me and I found out I needed to send it in to replace a part. So I had to save up the money and then the time it was in the repair shop. I was able to read on my parents computer but I couldn't work on any writing. Wasn't compatible or something. So this chapter is a little longer than usual to make up for the long wait.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

* * *

Kagome awoke to the feeling of a clawed hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake. She fixed Inuyasha with a bleary eyed gaze before glancing out the window. It was still dark out. "What's wrong Inuyasha?" she asked, letting out a yawn.

"Come on wench, it's time to get up. We have to get ready to leave." He got up and started to move away.

"But the sun's not even up yet. Wake me back up in a few hours." She snuggled back down into the futon, pulling the blanket over her head. She was startled a moment later when she found herself on the ground, the futon pulled completely out from underneath her. "Inuyasha!"

"Keh. If you want breakfast you better hurry. I want to be on our way by dawn." He ignored her glare as he moved back to the fire where several fish were cooking.

Kagome gave him one last glare before moving over to join him and Kaede by the fire. "Why do we have to leave so early?" she asked. "It's not like we have anywhere we need to be."

"No, Kagome-sama, Inuyasha is right. It is better to start out early. Not only will you be able to cover more ground but it is also a good way to avoid unpleasantness" Kaede spoke up as she thought about the reactions of some of the villagers the night before. She knew that most of the villagers had taken a liking to Kagome but that there were always a few that liked to make trouble. She shook her head before motioning for Kagome to join her. "Come, I have something for you."

She went and picked up a package that was laying against the wall and handed it to Kagome. "I know that you are not comfortable in the traditional clothing of a miko, that you feel that you are not ready for the responsibility. So I had these commissioned for you."

Kagome opened the package to find two outfits. The hakama were in the same style as Inuyasha's, but not as baggy. One was a deep forest green and the other a dark blue. Each outfit also had a kosode of a lighter shade than the hakama, and there was a gray haori for when it became cold out. Kagome turned to Kaede and said "Thank you Kaede-sama. I really appreciate it." She took the time to change into the green outfit. As she was changing her thoughts went to the reason they were leaving and the events of the previous day. She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes but shook her head and forced herself to stop. 'No more tears. It feels like all I've done since I got here is cry. Well no more. I'm not going to let myself cry over things I can't change anymore.' When she came out from behind the screen she found that the food was done.

The three ate in companionable silence. Once the food was finished Kaede handed Kagome a bag. "Here, it contains your other outfit. I also included a traditional miko outfit, just in case." She waved off Kagome's objections. "You never know, besides it doesn't hurt to have a spare set of clothing. I have also included some supplies, a blanket, flint, some food though it isn't much."

Kagome swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat. "Thank you Kaede-sama. You didn't have to go to all of that trouble."

"Bah! What trouble? I wanted to. I want you to know that you are always welcome here at any time. That includes you as well Inuyasha" she said, fixing the hanyou with a look. "The villagers will get over their fears, you'll see." At his grunt she turned to Kagome, "I have also included some herbs and bandages. Knowing this lout, you'll need them at some point."

Kagome giggled at Inuyasha's outraged "Keh!"

Kaede pulled out a scroll and handed it to Inuyasha. "Here. It is a list of any people and places I could think of that might be able to help you find the answers you seek." He took it and tucked it into his haori. Kaede cleared her throat "If you could excuse us for a minute Inuyasha, there is something I would like to discuss with Kagome in private."

"Keh. I'll be outside." He grabbed Kagome's pack as well as her bow and arrows as he exited the hut.

Kaede turned a serious expression on Kagome. "I have something else for you as well Kagome-sama." She removed a necklace of beads and fangs from her sleeve and held it out to Kagome who took it to examine curiously. "This is a kotadama rosary. Also known as a subjugation necklace."

From his position outside of the hut Inuyasha's ears perked up. He could easily hear the conversation and he didn't like where it was going. He had heard of subjugation beads before and knew what they were used for. He had no wish to be bound by them. 'If that old woman thinks I'm gonna let her collar me she's got another thing coming.'

Inside the hut Kagome was turning the beads over in her hands with a frown. "What does that mean Kaede-sama?" she asked. "What are they used for?" She didn't think that she was going to like the answer.

Kaede began to explain. "They can be used to subdue a youkai. The beads are placed around the neck of the one you want to subdue and then a word of subjugation is spoken. The recipient will find themselves pulled to the ground and unable to move until the spell is lifted."

Kagome frowned at the necklace. "That sounds kind of harsh Kaede-sama. I mean I guess I can understand if it is the only way to stop something from attacking you but it still seems kind of wrong. Why give this to me anyway?" She raised her eyes to look at Kaede.

Kaede met Kagome's gaze. "My sister created it when she was contemplating releasing Inuyasha from the seal. It was to be a guarantee that if she did choose to release him he would behave. I am giving this to you for Inuyasha." At the stunned expression on Kagome's face she hastily continued "You will be traveling alone with him. There might come a time when you need that rosary to protect yourself from him. It will bind him to you so that he cannot harm you nor can he abandon you."

Outside, Inuyasha seethed. 'She thinks Kagome needs to be protected from me?! It was the men of her village that attacked Kagome, not me.' He was about to storm in there and grab Kagome, planning to never return to this village when a thought occurred to him. 'What if Kagome agrees to it?' He growled as he dug his claws into the earth beside him. 'What if she thinks the necklace is necessary and refuses to travel without it?' He felt torn. He had no wish to be subjugated or subdued by anyone but he didn't want to be separated from Kagome either. 'What if the only way to keep her by my side is to wear the beads?' His chest tightened and he felt his heart lurch at the thought of her refusing to go with him. His ears drooped as he resigned himself to the beads when Kagome's response finally reached his ears.

"Are you crazy?!" Kagome hurled the rosary to the ground and watched as it broke apart. "I would never put something like that on Inuyasha. It would be degrading, humiliating. And I know he would never hurt me. I'm not going to use that thing to bind him to me in anyway." She glared at Kaede.

"If that is your wish" Kaede replied. "I agree with you, for the most part. I don't believe that he really needs the beads either. And I don't think he would ever harm you. I had to make the offer though. I just hope that you don't come to regret your decision." At Kagome's frown she hastily continued "I just have a bad feeling that there will be times that the beads would have been useful."

"If it comes to that we'll make do. But I can't see myself subjecting anyone, especially not Inuyasha, to that" Kagome said pointing at the remains of the beads.

"I believe you child. Now come, I believe we have kept Inuyasha waiting long enough." They exited and Kaede was met with a glare from the hanyou that she ignored. She faced both of them and said "I meant what I said about you being welcome here anytime."

Kagome felt tears prickle in her eyes. She stepped forward and embraced a surprised Kaede. "Thank you for everything Kaede-sama. I'm going to miss you."

Kaede hugged her back and said "And I you. Now go on. I believe your hanyou is getting impatient."

Inuyasha moved forward and helped Kagome settle her pack and quiver with her bow and arrows, and then he pulled her onto his back. He had been stunned by Kagome's words, having expected her to agree with the old miko. He felt warm inside at her defense of him. And then Kaede had also offered him a place to stay. As he prepared to bound out of the village he turned to Kaede and quietly said "Thanks baba." He tried not to show how affected he was by her genuine offer of a place to stay if he ever needed it. He was still angry about the beads but he could understand where she was coming from, she was a miko after all. It must be hard for someone like her to trust someone of youkai blood like him.

She seemed to understand as she told him "Bah! Now be off with you. You have a long journey ahead of you." And with that they were gone.

* * *

Inuyasha carried Kagome on his back until they were far enough from the village for Inuyasha's comfort. Letting her down from his back he let her set the pace. As they walked Kagome looked around their surroundings with awe. The area was beautiful, full of nature. She had never seen anything like it, not coming from a city like Tokyo. 'I'm going to miss this if I find a way home' she thought as she looked around the untouched and unpolluted land. She suddenly became aware of the strange looks that Inuyasha had been giving her. She looked at him. "Is something wrong Inuyasha?"

He turned his head to side with a muttered "Keh." He knew he had been caught staring at her. Suddenly he felt a light pressure on his arm and turned to see that Kagome had placed her hand on his arm. He felt warm inside at the slight contact and when she asked him again he couldn't refuse her. "I overheard you and the baba." Seeing her begin to frown he hastily continued "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I think you forgot about these" he said as he wiggled his ears.

Kagome felt her face flush as she realized that he had overheard her argument with Kaede. "It's alright Inuyasha. I'm not mad, I know you couldn't help it." She gave him a brief smile.

Seeing that she really wasn't angry, Inuyasha decided to ask her what had been on his mind since he overheard the conversation. "Why?" he asked. "Why didn't you take the kotadama rosary from Kaede-baba?"

Kagome looked at him in confusion. "Why would I do something like that? Didn't you hear what I told Kaede-sama? That necklace is degrading and humiliating. I told Kaede-sama the truth. You don't deserve to be treated like that. And I don't need it to protect me from you, I know you wouldn't hurt me. I trust you." She blushed and looked away.

Inuyasha grabbed her by the shoulders to stop her and make her face him. She raised startled eyes to his serious face. "Thank you" he told her quietly.

"For what?" she asked him, confused.

"For trusting me, for not seeing me as a monster. Most people would have agreed with the baba and forced me to be subdued by the beads. Hell, most people would never agree to travel with me, would insist that I stay as far away from them as possible. I don't think you realize just how special you really are." It was his turn to blush and look away.

Kagome was touched that he had opened up to her. "Then most people are fools" she told him. She grabbed his hand. "Come on. Let's get moving." And without releasing his hand she started walking. Inuyasha felt warm inside at both her words and her gesture. He made no effort to pull away as they walked until they decided to break for lunch. Things remained pleasant between them and they engaged in simple conversations, which mainly consisted of Kagome talking about her family and home though Inuyasha had related a few minor details about his own life

It was about midday when they finally stopped. Kagome sank to the ground, exhausted as she put her pack down and took out some food. Handing some to Inuyasha, she ate her own before leaning back against a convenient tree. She let out a groan as she tried to massage the feeling back into her feet. Her feet were throbbing and she hadn't actually walked that far today. 'Better get used to it' she thought. 'No cars, buses or subways exist in this time.' Though she blushed as she recalled riding the hanyou's back and the feelings it invoked in her. 'Got to admit, that beats modern transportation any day.' She thought about asking him to carry her but shook her head. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea. She sighed as she looked at her shoes. She really didn't want to put them back on. 'My school loafers were not made for walking these kind of distances' she thought as she stared at them.

"You alright wench?" Inuyasha asked as he cast a worried look at her.

She blushed as she realized that she was at the center of his attention. "I'm fine. I'm just not used to walking for that long or for that type of distance." Seeing that he was ready to move on she tried to pull herself to her feet only to have her body protest. Another groan escaped her. She was startled when he knelt before her to examine her feet before he turned and pulled her onto his back. "Inuyasha?" she questioned.

"Why didn't you say something?" he huffed at her. "I would have carried you. You're in no condition to walk now, you could end up causing yourself permanent harm."

She blushed at his accusing tone. "I didn't want to burden you. And it didn't seem right to make you carry me. I mean you're a person not an animal. I didn't want to give you the wrong idea."

Her words warmed him. "Keh. I don't mind carrying you. Besides, we can travel faster this way." And with that he began bounding away.

They traveled that way for the rest of the day and managed to travel quite a distance. Once it began to get dark they set up camp. Kagome set up the fire while Inuyasha hunted for dinner. Her feet were feeling much better. She had just gotten a decent sized fire going when Inuyasha returned with his catch and set it to cook over the fire. They both ate their fill and then Kagome grabbed her pack and began to lay her blanket on the ground beside the fire. She paused and looked in the bag but there was only one blanket. She glanced from the blanket to Inuyasha and bit her lip in thought.

He caught her look and asked "Oi, what's wrong?"

"There's only one blanket" she told him, glancing away shyly.

"Keh. Is that all? Don't worry about it."

She raised her head to look at him. "But what if you get cold? And even if you don't, the ground isn't that comfortable without something to cushion it."

He snorted. "Keh! I'm not a weak human, the cold won't bother me. And I never said I was going to sleep on the ground."

She looked at him in confusion. "Then where were you planning to sleep?"

He pointed to a high branch of a nearby tree and her eyebrows lifted. He saw her look and said "What? It's safer and provides a better view of the surrounding area. Besides, I don't need as much sleep as you." With that he leaped up into the tree.

She merely shook her head before continuing with her preparations. She laid down and pulled the end of the blanket over herself. "Goodnight Inuyasha" she called and heard a "Keh" in response.

Inuyasha glanced at the sliver of moon in the sky. 'Damn, only a few more nights before the New Moon' he thought. He looked away and glanced at the form sleeping beside the fire. Even with the blanket and the heat of the fire she still shivered with cold. He debated with himself for a few moments before sighing and leaping down. He approached her and gently covered her with his haori. Kagome let out a sigh and murmured "Inuyasha" before she rolled over and fell into a deeper sleep.

He felt himself blush as he continued to stare at her. Remembering how good it had felt to wake up next to her in the abandoned hut he thought about joining her. Realizing what he was thinking he blushed again and hastily returned to his perch in the tree. 'Baka' he thought. 'What am I doing? I shouldn't be thinking about how good it felt to wake up beside her or her body pressing against mine. Even if she trusts me and doesn't mind my presence she could never feel that way about a filthy hanyou.' But he couldn't shake her from his thoughts and so he got little sleep as he continued to stare at her still form.

The next morning Kagome was surprised to find herself covered with his haori. She blushed as she told him "Thank you Inuyasha. But you didn't have to do that. You must have been cold."

"Keh. I ain't weak. The cold doesn't bother me like it does you, so don't worry about it." He turned away with a flush as she gave him a big smile. 'How can she make me feel this way just by smiling?' he wondered.

They ate and then started to travel again. Kagome walked beside Inuyasha. She had decided that as much as she liked having him carry her, it wasn't fair to him. Over his protests she had decided that she would walk as far as she could. "Besides" she told him, "it's the only way I'll get used to it." Still he kept a careful eye on her, ready to sweep her onto his back the moment he decided it was too much for her.

After a couple of hours of walking Inuyasha decided it was far enough and pulled her onto his back before bounding away. Kagome merely blushed. She had been getting tired but hadn't wanted to say anything but she should have known her friend could tell. "Thank you" she told him quietly and got a "Keh" in response.

They continued like that for the rest of the day, only stopping to eat or take care of their bodies needs. As it began to get dark they again set up camp for the night. After eating Kagome again set up her blanket by the fire. This time she wasn't surprised when Inuyasha glanced at a tree branch. However, she was surprised when he removed his haori and gave it to her. "Inuyasha?"

"Keh. I'll just end up covering you with it anyway" he said as he looked away.

She blushed as she held the haori to her body. It smelled like him. "Thank you" she said.

He glanced at her before leaping into his chosen tree. Kagome could barely see him, he had chosen a spot high up from the ground. With a sigh she settled down for the night, the haori wrapped around her body. She inhaled his masculine scent as she fell asleep and her dreams centered on the silver-haired hanyou.

Once he was sure she was asleep, Inuyasha leaped out of his tree. He settled down to sit next to her and just stared at her. Several times he caught himself as he began to reach for her. He didn't know why he couldn't stop gazing at her. It felt like he was being drawn to her and couldn't look away. As he breathed in her scent, he detected a slight difference but whatever it was only made her smell even better. He stayed there for the entire night until the sun was only minutes from rising. Then he leaped away and acted like it hadn't happened before waking her.

The day passed similarly to the previous day. Only this time as Inuyasha carried Kagome he could detect further changes to her scent. 'What is this smell? Why is her scent changing and why does it smell so good?' he asked himself. After they had eaten lunch Inuyasha made a new discovery. His body was reacting to that scent and he felt himself flush as realized how hard he was growing. 'I gotta find a cold stream somewhere' he thought. 'I can't let her see this, I don't want to give her the wrong idea.' He decided to stop early for the night and quickly came to a clearing by a stream. "Stay here and set up camp" he told her before rushing away to deal with his problem.

Kagome sighed from her spot near the stream. "Wait here, he says. Where does he think I'm going to go?" She was confused by his behavior. Things had started out well but she had noticed that as the day passed he had become tense and quieter than usual. She had tried to engage him conversation but had been rebuffed every time. 'Why doesn't he speak to me?' she wondered. 'Did I do something to make him angry? Maybe he's tired of carrying me' she thought as she cursed her weak body. 'But it was his idea.'

She sighed again as she shook her head to clear it. She was beginning to feel lonely. She really missed his company.

A sudden rustling in the bushes beside her caught her attention and she gripped her bow as she asked "Who's there?"

A small blur shot out and crashed into her legs, knocking her to the ground. She sat up to find a small boy with red hair and pointed ears laying at her feet. She noticed that he was bruised and had small cuts over his body. "Are you alright?" she asked.

At her voice he shot to his feet and backed away. That's when she noticed his tail. 'He's a youkai?' "I'm not going to hurt you. Tell me what's wrong, what were you running from? Maybe I can help."

He glanced back the way he had come and tears welled up in his green eyes. "M-my Pa!" He began to cry and she stepped forward to pull him into her embrace. He was so small, he couldn't be more than five or six. "W-we were attacked. My Pa told me to run. I could hear him screaming in pain." He bawled against her shoulder.

Kagome comforted him as best as she could. She was torn by what to do. His father was obviously in trouble but Inuyasha told her to stay put. She thought about calling Inuyasha to help but as she reached out with her senses she could tell that Inuyasha was out of range. She glanced at the sobbing child in her arms and felt her resolve harden. She wasn't going to let anyone suffer if there was a possibility that she could help. Grabbing her bow she told the boy "Show me where he is. Maybe I can help."

He looked at her with wide green eyes. "Y-you mean it?" At her nod he jumped out of her arms and started back the way he had come. "This way, please hurry."

As she hurried after him she asked "I'm Kagome, what's your name?"

"Shippou" he said as he continued to lead her through the trees. They moved quickly and soon reached a field. Kagome felt herself freeze at the sight before her. A youkai with a fish-like head was torturing a fox. Another youkai, this one more human looking with long black hair tied back in a braid, was lounging nearby and encouraging him. Kagome would have thought he was human if it wasn't for his fangs and red eyes, as well as the cruelty she could see reflected in them. At his side was a long weapon, a type of spear or pole-arm with a wicked looking blade. Kagome could feel the cruelty and malevolence radiating off the two and it frightened her.

Kagome felt Shippou latch onto her leg and snapped out of her daze. She notched an arrow and aimed it at the youkai that was hurting the fox. "Let him go" she called out.

The occupants of the clearing turned to look at her. The human looking one laughed at her. "And what do you think you can do to stop us?" he jeered at her before spotting Shippou. "Look Manten, it's the little brat you let escape. Hey brat" he called "you should have kept running. Do you really think this woman will be any help to you?" He laughed again.

The other youkai had stopped his torment of the fox and stared at her. 'A young maiden' he thought. "Can I have her Hiten, please?" he asked the other youkai hopefully.

Kagome felt fear and anger war within her at his words. When the other youkai looked her over and said "She's all yours, not my type" her anger only increased. But when the ugly youkai began to approach her she raised her bow and arrow. Thoughts of what he meant by 'have her' flashed through her mind.

"Get back" she ordered. But he only laughed.

"A maiden" he said. "Finally I will be able to use that hair recipe." He smiled wide showing off his mouth full of sharp teeth.

Kagome couldn't help herself. "Hair recipe?" she asked.

He gestured to his nearly bald head. "My elder brother Hiten was graced with all of the good looks in the family as well as a full head of hair. He gets all of the women. But I know that they would like me if I had hair like his. They say that the best thing for new hair is the flesh of a lovely maiden. So I will boil you down and rub you on my head." He lunged at her and she jumped back.

"That's disgusting" she said as she tried to dodge him.

"Hold still" he yelled at her before he was hit with a small green flame.

"Kitsune-B" Shippou yelled and shot another flame at him.

"You little brat" Manten roared before opening his mouth wide. Lightning began to build up in his mouth and he shot it towards the little Kitsune before a pain in his leg made him miss. The forgotten fox had latched onto his leg when he made to attack the kit. He kicked it away and tried again but Kagome aimed her bow again only to accidentally release the arrow when he lunged at her. The arrow hit his face so that it stuck out of what passed for his nose.

"AARGH" he cried out in pain. "You are going to pay for that!" He grabbed her and threw her to the ground as he towered over her.

Kagome yelped in pain as she hit the ground, her bow flying out of her hands to land out of reach. The air was forced out of her lungs when Manten straddled her before wrapping his hands around her neck and squeezing. She could hear the other youkai in the background laughing as her vision began to go dark. 'Inuyasha' was her last thought and she thought she could sense him getting closer before she blacked out.

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Don't kill me for the cliffhanger. I promise to get the next chapter out soon as it is mostly written already. But I won't be updating as often as I previously had.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

* * *

Inuyasha sighed as the cold water finally seemed to do it's job. He hadn't meant to go so far from the camp site but he didn't want Kagome to come across him and get the wrong impression. Just thinking about her made him start to harden again. Cursing he tried to think of anything else, Kaede, Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru's toad Jaken, anything to get his body under control. Once he was sure he was under control he exited the stream and pulled his hakama on. "Why is this happening?" he wondered aloud not expecting any answer. His body had reacted like this in the past but he was always able to make it go away. This time his body didn't seem like it would cooperate. He sighed again before he noticed something.

Slap! "Ouch!" A small object fell from his cheek to land in his palm before re-inflating itself. "Inuyasha-sama, is that any way to treat your loyal servant?" Myouga asked.

"Keh! What are you doing here Myouga-jiji?" Inuyasha asked.

"I heard from Kaede-sama that you had left on a journey with Kagome-sama. I was merely in the area and thought I would check in with you. But there is something different about your blood Inuyasha-sama. It tastes even better than usual. I would almost say you had claimed a mate or were ready to." Myouga paused. "You haven't taken Kagome-sama as your mate yet, have you?"

He was flattened for his question. "N-no, of course not. Why would I do something like that?" Inuyasha sputtered. "Mind your own business anyway."

"As you wish, Inuyasha-sama." 'Hmm. I think I struck a nerve. I wonder how close I am to the truth.' "But I believe you should know that this area isn't very safe. There is a dangerous pair of youkai in the area known as the Thunder Brothers. I don't think you should leave Kagome-sama alone for very long. It is said that they kidnap desirable women and devour them."

Inuyasha gave a start at that. He had had a bad feeling since leaving the camp but had put it off as fear of Kagome's reaction to his body's reaction. Now he had a sinking realization that that wasn't it. He cursed as he realized just how far from camp he really was and he shot to his feet as he hurried in the direction of camp. He cursed when he reached it and Kagome was nowhere in sight. Sniffing he frowned when the only other scent he smelled besides Kagome was a kitsune. "Oi Myouga-jiji, these Thunder Brothers aren't foxes, are they?"

"No Inuyasha-sama." He replied.

Inuyasha let a sigh of relief escape him upon hearing that. But it still didn't explain why she had left the camp. Swearing as he began to follow her scent, he started planning the lecture he was going to give her for disobeying him, when his bad feeling increased dramatically. Inuyasha increased his pace and nearly felt his heart stop when he came out of the trees into a field. There was Kagome but she was on the ground being strangled by an ugly looking youkai. Inuyasha launched himself forward with a growl, taking the youkai by surprise and throwing him off of her. He snatched her from the ground and leaped back to put some distance between them as he quickly checked her over. He noticed another youkai some distance away as well as two fox youkai.

"Inuyasha-sama, those are the Thunder Brothers" Myouga spoke up from his shoulder.

Inuyasha glared at the two. "Keh, bastards don't look so tough." Just then Kagome stirred in his arms and he focused his attention on her while keeping an eye on the two youkai. Thankfully she didn't seem injured other than the bruises that were already appearing on her neck. "You alright wench?" he asked.

Kagome slowly opened her eyes. Her throat felt like it was on fire. "Inu-Inuyasha" she rasped out. Her eyes widened, that had hurt. She could barely recognize her own voice.

"Hush wench. I've got you. Don't try to talk." He growled at the pain he could see in her face and vowed he was going to make those bastards pay. The ugly one chose that moment to get up from where he had tossed him. Inuyasha noticed the arrow sticking out of his face and thought 'Why the hell didn't the bitch purify this guy if she was able to hit him with an arrow?!'

"You little bastard! I'm going to make you pay!" He opened his mouth wide and Inuyasha could see lightning gathering there. He tensed, preparing to dodge when the other youkai interrupted.

"No Manten. I let you have the girl and the kitsune but the hanyou is mine."

Manten seemed to deflate at that. "Alright Hiten."

Inuyasha watched as the other youkai moved from where he had been lounging, pole-arm resting on his shoulder. He carefully set Kagome down and noticed the small kitsune settle down beside her. "I'm sorry Kagome" the kit cried as he threw himself into her arms. Seeing Kagome hug the kit to her and try to soothe him, Inuyasha felt he had a pretty good idea what had happened. He walked forward to meet the youkai, drawing a transformed Tessaiga as he went.

"So the hanyou has a demonic weapon. Can you even wield that thing?" Hiten taunted him. Inuyasha growled and lunged at him, swinging Tessaiga only to be met with his pole-arm. Hiten leaped into the air, the wheels on his shoes spinning to keep him in the air as he brought his strike down. "You think your little sword is going to be of any use to you? Don't make me laugh. Raijekin (Blade of Lightning)" he called as lightning surrounded his weapon to lash at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth as he blocked with Tessaiga. 'Damn it' he thought as the lightning surged at him. He continued to hold off Hiten as he taunted him.

"Well hanyou? How long do you think you'll be able to hold me?!"

Inuyasha growled with anger as Hiten continued to taunt him and call him a hanyou. He hated that. Gathering his strength he used the Tessaiga to force Hiten back, pushing him into the air.

Hiten glared down from his position in the air. "So you have brute strength, hanyou. But it won't save you."

Inuyasha glared up at him. 'This battle isn't going to be easy' he thought as he prepared for another attack.

"Oh, stubborn are you?" Hiten asked with a laugh. "The better to amuse me."

Inuyasha growled. "Plenty of youkai have thought that in the past, asshole. And trust me, none of them have ever left thinking of me as amusing." He raised Tessaiga and lunged forward but Hiten easily dodged.

"Enough." Hiten raised his weapon. "I shall end this with my Thunderbolt." Lightning shot out of his weapon to impact on the ground, narrowly missing a dodging Inuyasha. "Block it fully, hanyou, or **die**." Hiten laughed maniacally.

'Fuck' Inuyasha thought. 'It's lightning. All it has to do is brush me and I'm done for.' He remembered Kagome then. 'No, I can't let that happen, Kagome needs me.' He continued to dodge the attacks.

Meanwhile, Kagome had been watching the battle from the sidelines. She felt her heart leap into her throat as she saw the trouble Inuyasha was in. 'I have to do something' she thought. She looked for her bow but it was too far away. She contemplated going for it when she became aware of another presence. She let out a gasp as she realized that Manten was before her.

"Hehehe" he laughed. "Hiten did say that you and the foxes were mine." He reached for her and she scrambled away. "You aren't going to escape me so easily." He was stopped as a large spinning object landed on his head.

"Try my spinning top, jerk" Shippou yelled. "Come on Kagome, this way." He led her up some rocks, trying to put distance between them and Manten.

"Thanks Shippou-chan. You really got him" she managed to rasp out.

A voice from her shoulder drew her attention. "Don't let down your guard yet Kagome-sama." She turned her head and Myouga. She wondered when he had arrived. "Fox magic is only deception and illusions, after all." Glancing behind her, she saw that the large spinning object had turned into a child's spinning toy. Gulping, she ducked behind the rocks to hide. She couldn't help the fear that arose when she heard Manten's outraged roar.

Manten had gotten up as soon as the illusion had ended. "That's it, I'm going to make them both pay." A sudden sensation on top of his head drew his attention. Reaching his hand up, he felt as the last of his hair fell out. "NOOO!" He roared. He started to let lightning blasts out, shooting them wherever he thought the two were hiding.

Kagome and Shippou huddled behind an outcropping of rock. They could hear Manten raging behind them. 'Now what?' Kagome wondered. 'I wish I still had my bow and arrows. If he finds us we're both dead.'

Manten continued to rage for a few more minutes before realizing that his approach wasn't working. Spotting the injured adult fox, an idea came to him and he grinned evilly. He grabbed the fox and yelled "Hey brat, if you don't want your father to die, you better come out quick. The girl too."

Shippou peeked around the rock and spotted his father in Manten's grip. "No, Pa!" he cried as he threw himself out of his hiding spot too fast for Kagome to stop him. "D-don't hurt him, please!" he begged as he ran forward.

Kagome watched as Manten threw the adult fox aside before kicking Shippou and knocking him out. As she saw him approach the child, murder in his gaze, she could stay hidden no longer. She ran out and jumped on his back, clawing at his head as she tried to get him away from Shippou. Her hand grasped the arrow she had shot him with earlier and she pulled it free. 'If I can just use it one more time' she thought. She cried out as he threw her off of him. Seeing him leaning over her, she raised her arm to drive the arrow into his chest, only for him to knock it out of her hand and send if flying to land a fair distance away. He reached down and wrapped his hands around her neck for a second time. "There will be no one to save you this time. You're rescuer is in trouble himself."

Kagome felt the darkness encroaching on her again as she struggled. She knew that this time there would be no waking up again. 'Inuyasha' she thought desperately.

As Inuyasha continued to dodge the lightning, he became aware of Kagome's predicament. "KAGOME!" he yelled as he spotted her. His lack of attention cost him as Hiten launched an attack at the ground in front of him. The backlash from the attack knocked the Tessaiga from his hand and it resumed it's rusted form once it lodged itself in the ground.

"Distracted are you hanyou? Don't worry, you'll be seeing her in hell soon enough. But for now, I'm your opponent."

Inuyasha glared at him, torn. He needed to help Kagome but he had to get past Hiten first. His eyes traveled to Kagome again. A sudden pain flared in his shoulder as Hiten managed to graze him with the blade of his weapon.

"Truly, I am disappointed. I had hoped for more of a fight from you hanyou. You talk like a warrior but fight like a fool." Hiten shook his head as he leveled his weapon in Inuyasha's face. "Tell me fool, do you think I would be amused if I wrenched your limbs from your body one at a time?"

'Damn it. I have to save Kagome. I can't fight if I can't concentrate.' His thoughts were again interrupted by Hiten.

"Look Manten, the little dog has lost his bite."

"Isn't life sweet big brother?" Manten called from where he continued to strangle Kagome. "You have the hanyou and I the girl." He lifted Kagome so that her face was more easily seen by the others. "Have you ever seen a more lovelier sight than the face of a dying woman? Hehehe."

"Bastards!" Inuyasha snarled out as he lifted his hand to his wounded shoulder and coated his claws with his own blood. "Hijin Kessou" he cried as he flung his hand forward. He then took his chance to reclaim the Tessaiga.

Hiten dodged back from the attack and used his weapon to block the energy and blood. "Daggers of blood?" He smirked upon seeing Inuyasha reclaim his weapon. "Yes, much better. This is more like it." He prepared to meet in a clash of weapons only to be shocked when Inuyasha proceeded to throw the transformed fang. "What?" The sword passed below Hiten's position and he laughed as he told Inuyasha "I guess I was wrong again. Foolish hanyou, throwing away your only weapon like that only to miss your target. Pathetic."

It was Inuyasha's turn to smirk. "Who said I missed asshole?"

At that a pained yell came to Hiten's attention. He turned only to freeze as he spotted Manten, completely run through by the giant fang. "M-Manten" he stuttered as his brother's body slowly fell forward. The girl, free from Manten's grip, moved aside before she could be crushed by his body.

Kagome stared at the body. 'I'm still alive?' she thought as she picked up Shippou before spotting the Tessaiga as it changed back into its rusted form. 'The Tessaiga? Inuyasha saved me again. Oh no, I need to get it back to him.' She grasped the hilt and began to tug it free. A whimper from Shippou drew her attention and she paused in her movements to grab his wounded father and hold them in the same arm. She again started to pull on the sword only to become aware of Inuyasha's yelling.

Hiten had not take the death of his younger brother well at all. With a roar of rage he flew towards his brothers body, shouting his name. Upon spotting where he was heading Inuyasha had started swearing and running himself. "Kagome, get the hell out of there!"

Kagome looked up to see Hiten bearing down on her. He released a lightning strike at the ground and she felt herself flung through the air as the Tessaiga was torn from her grasp. Suddenly a pair of familiar arms wrapped around her, holding her close. She looked up to spot Inuyasha's worried face. "Inu-Inuyasha" she rasped out.

Inuyasha let a sigh of relief escape him as he realized she was alright. "You baka! Why didn't you run when you had the chance?"

"I'm sorry Inuyasha. I wasn't able to retrieve the Tessaiga." She managed to say painfully.

That stopped him cold. 'That's why she took so long?'

She ignored his motions for her to be quiet. "You saved me again, and I couldn't do anything. I'm sorry."

"Enough already. Be quiet already will you. You shouldn't be talking right now. Besides, I don't need a weapon to beat a weakling like him."

Their attention was drawn by a horrible wail. They turned and saw Hiten sobbing over his brother's body. "Manten, no. Not my Manten, not my Manten, no, no, NOO!" They were shocked to see tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, he put his body down and drove his hand into it's chest, tearing out the heart. "I swore, my brother, we would be together forever." With that he tore into the heart, devouring it.

'He's eating his own brother's heart?!' Kagome thought with horrified disgust. She stared with horror, unable to look away until Inuyasha stepped in front of her and blocked her view. "Don't look" he told her. "You don't need to see that." She tried to smile at him but it came out as more of a grimace as she couldn't shake the sight from her mind. 'How could he eat his own brother's heart?'

Her thoughts were interrupted when Myouga made his presence known. "He is ingesting his brother's demonic powers. Be careful Inuyasha-sama, Hiten has added Manten's powers to his own."

Inuyasha glared at the flea. "Now you tell me. Where have you been anyway?"

At the flea's stuttering Kagome said "I guess he found a safe place to hide."

That just pissed Inuyasha off more. "One of these days my dog-biting friend, you won't have the luxury of turning up after the danger has passed."

"Now, now Inuyasha-sama" the flea stammered "is this really the time to be arguing over this?"

Inuyasha suddenly grabbed Kagome and leaped away from where they had been standing as a powerful lightning strike hit the ground. He turned to look at the imposing figure of Hiten. 'Damn, his power is much greater than it was before. Looks like Myouga-jiji was right about him devouring his brother's energy.' He set Kagome on her feet and told her "Kagome, take the kitsune and run as far away from here as you can."

Kagome shot him a startled look. "Inu-Inuyasha?"

"GO!"

She turned and started to run with the two kitsune clutched in her arms but glanced back at him. 'Inuyasha, please survive this' she thought as she forced herself to run. Her last glimpse of him showed Inuyasha standing there prepared to face the attacking youkai with nothing but his own claws to protect him. 'Please Inuyasha, please survive and come back to me.'

* * *

Again, sorry for the cliffhanger. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible. It will finish off the encounter with the Thunder Brothers. So please review and let me know what you think.


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

* * *

_Previously_

_Kagome shot him a startled look. "Inu-Inuyasha?"_

"_GO!"_

_She turned and started to run with the two kitsune clutched in her arms but glanced back at him. 'Inuyasha, please survive this' she thought as she forced herself to run. Her last glimpse of him showed Inuyasha standing there prepared to face the attacking youkai with nothing but his own claws to protect him. 'Please Inuyasha, please survive and come back to me.'_

* * *

The sky grew dark as storm clouds gathered overhead before being lit up by a flash of lightning. Inuyasha stood his ground as he faced the raging Hiten. 'Get out of here Kagome.' He knew that he was in for a rough fight but he had to beat him or at least hold him off long enough for Kagome to get to safety.

Furious, crazed red eyes locked onto golden ones. "I'm going to kill you! You and your little bitch! You'll both pay for Manten's death!" With that Hiten charged through the air at Inuyasha, weapon held ready and sparking with lightning.

'Damn it' Inuyasha thought as he stared at the gathering lightning. He prepared to dodge but knew that it was too large and that there was nowhere for him to go to avoid it. 'And I don't even have the Tessaiga to try and block it. Fuck, I'm really in trouble this time.' Time seemed to slow to a halt as he watched the incoming demon. Suddenly a voice from his shoulder drew his attention.

"Inuyasha-sama! Use the Tessaiga's sheath."

Inuyasha spotted Myouga sitting on his shoulder. 'Myouga-jiji?! He's here? But he always runs at the first sign of danger.' "The Tessaiga's sheath?" he asked.

"Yes Inuyasha-sama. There is a barrier on the sheath. It should be able to block the lightning strikes."

Inuyasha grabbed the sheath from his side and held it out in front of him as Hiten unleashed the lightning strike. "You better be right about this Myouga-jiji!" was all he had time to say before the lightning reached him.

"That's right hanyou, you're dead. No one could survive that. Now I just have to find the girl and Manten will be fully avenged." Hiten laughed hysterically but then a growl cut him off.

"You stay the fuck away from Kagome!" Hiten's eyes widened and he stared down in shock as the dust cleared and he saw Inuyasha standing there unharmed. There was a trench carved into the ground in front of him but both he and the ground he was standing on were fully intact.

"What! That's impossible. Nothing could survive a direct hit from that attack, nothing!"

"Keh! That's what you think, asshole!" Inuyasha shouted up at him before staring at the sheath. More quietly he said "I can't believe it worked."

"Didn't I tell you it would Inuyasha-sama? How can you have so little faith in me, your most loyal servant? The sheath was made to contain Tessaiga, a demonic blade. How can it not be strong enough to turn away a Thunder Demon's blast?" The flea hopped up and down on his shoulder to emphasize his point. "Anyway, now that you have survived, shouldn't we be running away?"

Inuyasha had been staring at the sheath, an idea forming in his mind. Hearing the flea's question he snorted. "Run away? Why would I do something like that?! I can use this." And with that he ran towards where Hiten was standing in shock.

But upon seeing him approach, Hiten snapped out of his shock. "You bastard! You filthy hanyou! I don't know how you survived that attack but you will still die for my brother's death." He sent another blast at Inuyasha only for it to be absorbed again by the sheath.

"Heh. This is great. I just need to get close enough to him. If I can reach him then I can kill him." He was nearly there.

But Hiten realized his plan. "FOOL!" He shouted at Inuyasha as he took to the air, driven by his spinning wheels. "Have you forgotten? Hiten flies!" He got into position above and behind Inuyasha before driving his weapon down into his back.

"Argh!" Inuyasha cried out in pain as the blade cut into his back and he went sprawling onto the ground.

In the meantime, Kagome hadn't gone as far away from the battle as Inuyasha had hoped. She was hiding behind another rocky outcropping watching the fight. Despite Inuyasha's wishes, she found that she had been unable to leave him. Her heart had leaped into her throat when she had seen the lightning hit and she had feared he was dead. She had never been so relieved as when she had seen him standing there unharmed. But now, seeing him injured she couldn't help the gasp that came from her as she cried "Inuyasha!" Her hands reached for something to clutch and found the discarded arrow. Looking at it she thought 'If only I had my bow. I wish there was some way for me to help him.'

A nearby groan caught her attention and she turned to see Shippou waking up. She felt slightly guilty for forgetting about him and his father but she was so worried about Inuyasha. She pulled the little kitsune into her lap and told him "It's alright Shippou-chan. You-re safe now." 'But who knows for how long if Inuyasha can't defeat Hiten.'

"Kagome?" He blinked up at her. "What happened?" Recalling Manten threatening his father before he blacked out, he sat up with a start and looked around.

Kagome realized what he was looking for and pointed him out. "He's safe as well, Shippou-chan. Inuyasha saved us." That made her remember the battle even now being fought and she turned worried eyes back to the fight.

Shippou, relieved to find that his father was safe just injured, hopped up and joined her. With a start he spotted Manten's body lying not too far away. He tugged on Kagome's sleeve to get her attention. Pointing at the body he asked "What happened to him?"

Kagome told him "Inuyasha killed him to save us. But that only enraged Hiten. He absorbed Manten's power and added it to his own. I don't know how Inuyasha will be able to win this." She told him as she forced unshed tears away. "But I know he will. He can't fail." She winced as she watched Inuyasha narrowly avoid another strike from Hiten's weapon. The wheels on his feet caught her attention. "That's it! Those wheels, when Hiten flies they spin." She grasped the arrow in her hand tighter. "If I can just knock them off..." She sighed as she remembered. "It's no use. I have an arrow but no bow."

Shippou looked up at her and saw the look of dejection on her face. Glancing at his unconscious father he told her "Leave that to me! I owe you for saving me and my father." With that he placed a leaf on his head and with a flash of green fire he transformed into...

"A snail?!" Kagome asked in shocked confusion as she took in the fat, yellow and twisted form.

"I'm a bow!" an outraged voice came from the object.

"Sorry" she apologized as she grasped his transformed body and aimed her arrow at one of Hiten's wheels. She paused as she noticed just how far away he was. 'I only have one chance, I can't mess this up.'

Shippou was desperately trying to hold onto the transformation. "Hurry up Kagome! What's taking you so long?"

"This is my only arrow, I can't afford to miss." She worried if she would be able to make the shot. Then she saw Inuyasha stumble to the ground and Hiten rise up into the air to deliver the final blow. "No!" she cried as she released the arrow, worry for Inuyasha driving her. 'Please hit' she thought desperately.

Inuyasha tried to raise the Tessaiga's sheath to block but knew he wouldn't make it. He was too tired. 'At least I held him off long enough for Kagome to get away' he thought. Suddenly an object shot through the air and impacted with one of Hiten's wheels, shattering it and causing him to break off his attack as he listed to one side. 'What? That looked like one of Kagome's arrows!' Turning his head he spotted her standing on a rocky outcropping not too far away. 'Damn bitch! I told her to get away. When the hell is she going to learn to listen to me?!' He growled as he noticed Hiten turning to glare at her.

"She dared damage my wheel. I'm going to make her suffer even more" Hiten raged.

"Hey asshole! You're fight is with me" Inuyasha yelled to draw his attention away from her.

"Don't worry hanyou, I'll deal with you first, then I'll spend my time making her suffer before I kill her" Hiten said as he swung his weapon at Inuyasha again. But he was moving noticeably slower than before now that he only had one wheel.

'That's it' Inuyasha thought as he tried to ignore Hiten's words. He lunged forward and grabbed onto Hiten's pole-arm with his left hand.

"No Inuyasha-sama! It is too dangerous to grasp that weapon" Myouga spoke up from his spot on Kagome's shoulder, shocking her. "You need to let go!"

"Weren't you just with Inuyasha?" she asked him.

Inuyasha ignored them as he continued to grasp the pole-arm. Glancing at the Tessaiga's sheath he said "This thing is in my way, I don't need it anymore" and released it.

"No, Inuyasha-sama! Don't drop the sheath!" But the flea was again ignored.

"I'll do things my own way" Inuyasha growled out as he pulled Hiten forward through his grip on the pole-arm. He pulled him right into a right cross as he punched him in the face and sent him flying. "How's that for a lowly hanyou, eh Hiten?" he taunted him with a smirk.

"He hit him" Kagome said as she watched with relief that was short-lived as she saw Hiten immediately get to his feet.

"You...hit...me" he said as he rubbed his cheek. "In all of my centuries, none have dared to strike my face." He shook with rage as he called on his power. The air around him grew hot as he glowed with power. "This ends NOW!" he roared as he charged forward with his pole-arm.

Inuyasha leaped back and grabbed the Tessaiga's sheath, raising it just in time to block the blade of Hiten's weapon. But a noise, 'CHINK', drew his attention and he realized with a start that a crack had formed in the sheath. 'The damned thing is cracking!'

Hiten laughed. "You are brave hanyou and I loathe you for that. I will relish your death more than any other." He increased the pressure from his weapon, lightning dancing along the blade, causing the sheath to crack further.

"Oh no!" cried Myouga. "The sheath must not shatter. Inuyasha-sama that sheath is your only hope."

Kagome cast a worried look at Inuyasha as she heard Myouga's words. 'Inuyasha.' She glanced around for some way to help and spotted the Tessaiga where it lay near Manten's body. "The Tessaiga! If I can just retrieve it and get it to Inuyasha, he'll be able to beat him. I know he will." But the path to the sword would bring her too close to the battle. She was torn.

"I'll get it!" Shippou said as he darted out from their spot behind the rocks.

"No Shippou-chan, come back here" she cried as she ran after him. Neither noticed the older kitsune's eyes flutter open behind them.

Her shout drew the attention of the battling warriors. Hiten smirked evilly before saying "I guess I can take my revenge sooner than I thought." He opened his mouth and Inuyasha saw lightning form there.

'Manten's attack?! He must have gained it when he absorbed his power.' He realized that he had no way to stop the attack. "Kagome run! Get out of there!" he yelled just as Hiten unleashed his attack. "NOOO!" he cried as he saw it hit Kagome and Shippou. Their screams echoed in his ears.

Hiten laughed maniacally. "A toast to you!" The dust cleared and they could see Kagome and the two kitsune laying on the ground, surrounded by flames. "They were courageous but that only proves my point. Courage against me means only death!" Hiten increased the pressure on his weapon.

Inuyasha began to growl as he slowly raised his head to glare at the Thunder Youkai. "You're right" he said. "It means DEATH!" He pressed up with the sheath, forcing Hiten back. "Yours! You killed HER! I'll kill you!" The increased pressure cracked the sheath further but Inuyasha ignored it as he slammed his head forward to smash against Hiten's. The move drove Hiten back, separating them.

Hiten shook his head to clear it as he tried to catch his breath. 'I don't understand it' he thought. 'Never has a full youkai fought against me with such tenacity and strength! What kind of creature is this hanyou?'

Inuyasha growled at him again. "You may end up killing me but I'll bring you down with me! I promise you that!"

"What a fool you are hanyou, to get so worked up over a woman's death. Has the blood gone to your head? No woman is worth risking a battle." Hiten raised his pole-arm and lunged forward. "On the other hand a brother's revenge is well worth fighting to the death over!" The pole-arm again clashed with the sheath.

"I wouldn't know bastard. I could care less if my brother died. But you'll pay for what you did to Kagome!" Inuyasha snarled out at him. He ignored the continued cracking of the Tessaiga's sheath.

"No Inuyasha-sama! You must stop this! The sheath is about to shatter!" Myouga called from his spot on the sidelines.

Inuyasha ignored him as he tried to think of a way to defeat the youkai in front of him. At this point he didn't care if it killed him, he was going to bring Hiten to hell with him. As the sheath cracked further it began to vibrate in his hands before emitting a noise. "What?" Inuyasha stared at in shock. An answering noise came from the side and Inuyasha looked to see the Tessaiga flying through the air at him. "The Tessaiga?!" He reached out his hand to catch the sword by the hilt. He vaguely heard Myouga shouting from the sidelines.

"The sheath summoned the sword Inuyasha-sama!"

The sword instantly transformed in Inuyasha's hand and he dropped the sheath to grasp the sword in both hands. He turned and swung, slicing both Hiten's weapon and body in half.

"How? How did a filthy hanyou defeat the great Hiten?" were Hiten's last words as his body split apart.

Inuyasha let the sword fall to the ground as he dropped to his knees. He ignored Myouga as the flea bounced over to him, singing his praises.

"Inuyasha-sama! You did it. You defeated both of the Thunder Brothers. I never had any doubts."

"Save it Myouga-jiji" Inuyasha said as he flattened the flea. "If only I could have beaten him sooner, Kagome would still be-"

He was cut off as a presence behind him drew his attention. "Inuyasha?" Her voice drew him and turned a blink to see her standing there, the young kitsune held in her arms. They were surrounded by blue flames, giving them an unworldly glow.

"K-Kagome?" he stared at her.

Myouga hopped onto his shoulder and gasped. "Th-those must be there ghosts. Coming to _sniff_ say their final farewells" he said before he started bawling.

"Inuyasha you did it" Kagome told him with a smile. "You fought really hard and were able to beat him. Thank you."

'Is this really the end?" Inuyasha wondered. He saw the flames surge around her and ran forward. "No Kagome!" he cried. "Don't go! Don't leave me!" His hand shot out and grasped hers and he gave a start as he realized that it was solid and warm in his. "What?" he asked as the flames completely left her body. He watched as they took the shape of a fox and landed on the ground a few feet away before transforming into the older kitsune who then changed into his humanoid form. Inuyasha turned his attention back to Kagome. "Y-you're alive?" He asked as he pulled her into a rough embrace. When he realized what he was doing he released her with a blush.

"Of course we're alive. What did you mean by 'don't leave me'?" she asked him confused. She was further confused when he glared at Myouga.

"My mistake Inuyasha-sama. Please forgive your faithful servant" Myouga pleaded. He was squished for his trouble. "Such is the life of a flea" he said as he fell to the ground.

The older kitsune started to laugh. "Hey pup" he said causing Inuyasha to bristle. "Don't you know a foxfire shield when you see one?" He groaned and sank to the ground as his injuries made themselves known.

"You're hurt" Kagome said as she rushed to his side. "Here, come back to our camp with us and I'll help bandage your wounds."

"OI! Who said they could come with us?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. "He's injured Inuyasha. We can't just leave them out here by themselves. Besides he saved my life."

"And we saved theirs as well!" He glared at her. "Just why did you leave camp anyway? I distinctly remember telling you to stay put."

"I couldn't just leave someone to suffer." She glanced at him and saw the blood on his clothes. "You're hurt too" she remembered with a gasp. She was torn between helping Inuyasha and helping the fox.

"Keh. I'm fine wench. They're just scratches." He sighed resigned as he went over to help the older kitsune to their camp. "And don't think our conversation is over wench. We'll be having a long discussion on obeying me later."

With that they set off towards their camp with Kagome carrying Shippou while Inuyasha supported his father, Satoshi. It was hard going as the sun had set during the battle and the moon provided little light but Inuyasha's keen eyesight allowed him to lead the way. He also found Kagome's bow and quiver, and returned them to her but her arrows were all broken and would need to be replaced. Upon reaching their campsite Shippou used his Kitsune-B to get a fire going while Kagome grabbed her pack. She treated Satoshi's wounds first. Once she was finished she left him resting by the fire before turning her gaze on Inuyasha who was lounging in a tree. Myouga hopped onto her shoulder. "Excellent work Kagome-sama" he praised her and took the opportunity to sample her blood. 'Hmm, no wonder Inuyasha-sama's blood was different. She's-' his thoughts were interrupted when Kagome's hand reached up and slapped him.

She glared at him. "Thanks for the compliment Myouga but next time ask if you're hungry." She then ignored him to return her gaze to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, please come down" she called to him.

He contemplated ignoring her before he leaped down with a sigh. "What do you want wench?"

"I need to bandage your wounds" she told him.

"Keh, they're just scratches. They'll be healed by tomorrow." He saw the look on her face and sighed again. "Fine." He removed his haori and kosode and allowed her to treat and bandage his wounds. When she finished she settled down to sit next to him and he felt himself react to her scent again. He shifted, thankful that his hakama were so baggy. He noticed Satoshi watching him and growled out "You got a problem?"

"No, no problem" Satoshi replied with a smile as he shushed his son. "I would like to thank you Inuyasha-san and Kagome-san. My son and I owe you our lives." He glanced questioningly at Kagome. "Though I am surprised that a miko would risk her life for a pair of youkai, let alone travel with a hanyou."

Kagome wondered what she should tell him. "I was not raised as a typical miko and so I have none of their prejudices" she decided to tell him. "I judge people based on their actions not their blood."

Satoshi inclined his head at her. "If only there were more people who thought like you."

Kagome shared the last of the food that Kaede had given them. After they had eaten they settled down to sleep. Inuyasha decided to remain on the ground. He had seen the way Satoshi had kept glancing at him and Kagome, and he didn't want to take any chances. When Kagome settled her blanket he handed her his haori and then plopped himself down beside her. "Inuyasha?" she asked, confused.

"Keh. Go to sleep wench" he told her as he propped the Tessaiga against his shoulder. She smiled at him before obeying, the events of the day catching up with her exhausted body. He took the time to examine the Tessaiga's sheath. It had really saved his life today. Staring at the crack he wondered how to repair it.

Myouga hopped onto his shoulder. "She's really special, isn't she Inuyasha-sama?"

"Keh."

"I know why you are acting the way you are Inuyasha-sama. I sampled her blood earlier and it explains why your body is-" He was again interrupted by a hand flattening him.

"Oi, shut up about that. And don't go biting Kagome. You leave her alone." Inuyasha glared at the flea.

Myouga sighed. 'He isn't ready for that knowledge yet. But when he does find out he's going to be angry that I didn't tell him sooner. Oh well, such is the life of a flea.' "As you wish Inuyasha-sama." And with that the flea hopped away into the night.

Inuyasha sighed before his gaze was drawn to Kagome's still form. Recalling the events of the day, he shuddered. It was too close. He had nearly lost her. Of it's own accord his hand rose and brushed the hair from her face. She gave a little murmur and rolled to face him more fully. His breath caught in his throat and he felt himself leaning closer to her face. He shot back up and gave a growl as he felt eyes watching him. Turning, he spotted Satoshi watching him. Inuyasha growled at him but he merely smiled enigmatically before settling down and curling around his son as he fell asleep. Inuyasha sat up straight for the rest of the night as he guarded the girl who had wormed her way past the wall he had built around his heart.

* * *

Look no cliffhanger this time. So tell me what you think. Do you like the changes from canon?


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same. A lot of you wondered what would happen with Shippou and his father. Now you can find out. Enjoy.

* * *

Despite being exhausted from the events of the previous day, Kagome found herself waking as the sky began to lighten. Yawning, she opened her eyes to be met with an expanse of red. Looking up she saw it was Inuyasha's leg. He was sitting cross-legged beside her with the Tessaiga propped against his shoulder. She couldn't help but to smile. As she shifted in her spot his eyes opened and locked onto hers. She gasped at the emotion visible in his eyes before a wall came down to shield them. "You alright wench?" She merely nodded at him, unable to voice a response. 'The depth of emotion visible for those few seconds, I couldn't have imagined it could I?' She could almost swear she had seen need and some other emotion that she couldn't quite identify in his eyes. Shaking her head to clear it, she stood and stretched before heading into the bushes to take care of a pressing need.

Upon returning to the camp she found that Inuyasha had caught a few fish from the stream and was cooking them over the fire, and that the others had also awoken. After everyone had eaten, she checked everyone's wounds. She was happy to note that Satoshi seemed to be healing well and she found that Inuyasha was right about his assertion the previous night, his wounds had already healed. She began to pack up her supplies while wondering what to do about their guests. She found that she needn't have bothered as Satoshi chose that moment to speak up.

"Inuyasha-san, Kagome-san, again I offer my thanks. My son and I are in your debt. If ever there is something we can do to help, you need only ask." He bowed to them. "But for now it is time for my son and I to return to our home."

"Oh, Satoshi-san, you are very welcome. No thanks are needed, I couldn't live with myself if I hadn't done something to help." Kagome blushed at his thanks.

Satoshi inclined his head at her. "Nevertheless, the debt still stands. If ever we can be of assistance to you, you need only ask."

"Keh. Enough of this. Come on wench, it's time to get moving. We're close to that temple the baba had on her list. I want to get moving already." Inuyasha was impatient to get moving. Satoshi kept sending him these knowing looks that were putting him on edge.

With that they packed up their supplies and made to leave. Kagome and Shippou exchanged a tearful goodbye and then Inuyasha grabbed her arm to lead her out of the camp. He paused as he heard Myouga calling out to him.

"Inuyasha-sama! Wait! You weren't going to leave your loyal servant behind, were you?" He rolled his eyes but stopped. He was surprised to see the flea carrying a bundle that was at least twice his size.

"Oi Myouga-jiji, what's in that sack?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Here Inuyasha-sama. This wax is for the Tessaiga's sheath. You can't leave it in this condition. However, you must be careful as it is only a temporary solution. In order to fully repair the sheath, it needs to be immersed in wax from a hive of steel wasps." Inuyasha followed the flea's directions and placed the wax on the damaged sheath. That done, they restarted their journey.

Once they were out of earshot Satoshi began to chuckle as he shook his head. "Poor fools, I don't know which one to pity more. The hanyou for being too stupid to realize what is going on or the miko for being stuck with him." He finally decided on the hanyou. He wouldn't want to be in his position in a few days.

At his side Shippou began to bounce up and down. "What do you mean Pa? What's going on?""I'll tell you when you're older" Satoshi said with a smile. "But suffice it to say, those two are in for some amusing times."

* * *

They traveled along a river below a mountain, pausing to examine Kaede's directions. Evening was approaching but they were nearly there. Kagome wondered at all of the spider webs she had been seeing but put it out of her mind. She turned to look at Inuyasha. He had been in a bad mood all day. Shortly after they had left the campsite they had had his promised 'discussion'.

_Flashback_

_After they had left the campsite far behind them Inuyasha stopped, halting Kagome in her tracks. "Inuyasha?" she asked, confused._

"_I told you we were going to have a discussion wench. You need to learn to listen when I tell you something. I told you to stay in camp and you disobeyed me." He glared at her._

_She flushed, knowing that he was right. "I know. But Shippou was just a little kid and he needed help. I couldn't just leave him" she defended herself._

_He sighed. "I know, you wouldn't be you if had. But you should have called for me or something. You can't just go wandering off whenever you feel like it. I don't know what your time is like but this one is too dangerous for someone like you to be wandering around alone."_

"_I did think about calling for you but you felt too far away. What were you doing anyway?" she asked, curious._

__

_He flushed and looked away. "N-never mind about that. And you're right, it was partly my fault for going so far. I promise from now on I won't go so far unless it's unavoidable. But you have to promise to listen when I tell you to do something. And don't think I've forgotten that you disobeyed me when I was fighting Hiten. I told you to run away and you didn't."_

She interrupted him. "And if I hadn't ignored you then, you might have been killed. I was able to help by damaging his wheel."

"Damn it bitch! Do you have any idea how I felt when I thought you had died?! What am I going to do if you get yourself killed?!"

_Kagome was taken aback by the raw emotion in his voice and eyes. He was staring at her so intently. 'Since when is he this emotional?' she wondered. She gulped. "Alright Inuyasha. I promise to listen and obey you when you tell me something important, unless circumstances don't allow it." She added that last part, knowing that if another situation came up where she could save his life by ignoring his orders, she would._

_Inuyasha accepted her compromise. "Keh. Come on wench, let's get moving." He pulled her onto his back and they restarted their journey._

_End Flashback_

But since then she noticed that he had become more irritable. 'Is he still angry at me for disobeying him?' she wondered. She noticed him looking around for a place to set up camp and called out "Inuyasha, why don't we keep going? We're nearly there. I'm sure we can make it to the temple before dark."

'Damn it' Inuyasha cursed in his head not knowing how to explain to her why he didn't want to go to the temple tonight. He knew he needed to tell her, there was no way to hide what would happen tonight. It didn't stop him from wanting to avoid it somehow. He didn't want her to see him at his weakest. His senses were already fading. 'Why did tonight have to be the fucking new moon?'

As he opened his mouth to say something a scream from above stopped him. They looked up and saw a girl being chased by some type of spider youkai. Inuyasha leaped up with Kagome on his back, unsheathing Tessaiga as he did so. He swung, easily dispatching the youkai.

The girl collapsed to knees in front of them, panting for breath. "Thank you" she started to say as she raised her head to look at her rescuer. "AAH!" she screamed upon spotting Inuyasha. She shot to a feet and took Inuyasha by surprise, managing to land a punch to his face. "Get out of here, youkai!" She glared at him.

Inuyasha returned her glare. "Keh! Why do I even bother?" he muttered angrily as he turned his back on the girl. "Some thanks for saving your life." He was surprised when Kagome slipped past him to slap the girl's face.

"W-what?" the girl asked, holding her face.

"How dare you?! Inuyasha just saved your life. You had no right to treat him like that! You owe him an apology!" Kagome demanded.

Inuyasha stared at her in shocked awe. "K-Kagome."

The girl raised her face to Kagome. "Why should I apologize? I gave him exactly what he deserved. I know a youkai when I see one. And all I can feel for a youkai is hatred." She glared. "They are all evil and deserve to die. You're human. Why are you defending him?"

"I don't know what experience you have had with youkai" Kagome began. "But not all youkai are bad just like not all humans are good. You have to judge them by their actions not their race. Inuyasha is a good person and he saved your life."

The girl only glared harder. "My father was killed by youkai, and now they infest this mountain. They have killed so many already. So don't try to tell me youkai aren't evil. I don't have to stand here and listen to a youkai and youkai lover try to tell me different. Don't follow me or the master of the temple will purify you" she threatened as she made to walk away. She only made it a step before her injured leg gave out on her and she collapsed.

Kagome hurried to her side and checked her injury. "This isn't too bad" she told her "but you shouldn't be walking on it. I'm Kagome" she told the girl, feeling bad after hearing about her father.

"Nazuna" the girl replied sullenly.

Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha. "What?" he asked. Upon seeing her look he started shaking his head. "No, no way wench. Forget about it."

"Please Inuyasha" Kagome asked with her hands clasped in front of her. "She really shouldn't be walking on that leg right now. Besides we were going to the temple anyway."

He sighed, somehow unable to deny her anything when she looked at him like that. Grumbling he approached the two and pulled Nazuna onto his back despite her protests. "Alright, let's go. If we hurry we can get there before sunset."

As they made there way to the temple Nazuna asked "Why are you going to the temple?"

Kagome answered her. "An acquaintance of ours, a miko named Kaede told us that the master of this temple might be able to help us with a problem we have." She decided to be vague, after all you can't go around telling everyone you meet that you're from the future.

They made good time and managed to make it to the temple a short time before sunset. Kagome noticed that Inuyasha's mood had only grown worse. An old monk was standing on the steps of the temple when they arrived and Kagome decided that this must be the master of the temple.

He raised his head and spotted them. "Oh, Nazuna" he said. "I was worried that a spider-head had attacked you. Are you injured?"

Nazuna leaped down from Inuyasha's back to kneel before the monk. "Oh master, it was terrible. The spider-head attacked while I was tending the graves. I had no choice but to rely on this youkai. I'm sorry for leading him to this sacred temple. I'm sorry master."

"It's alright child." The old man patted her on the arm. "I am sure that everything will be alright. They helped you, didn't they?" he asked as he glanced at Kagome and Inuyasha. "Now go inside and prepare some food for our guests." Nazuna did as she was told. Once she was inside the old man faced them. "I'm sorry for any trouble that she may have given you. Please forgive her attitude. She has been having a hard time since her father was killed in an attack by the spider-heads and has developed an understandable fear of youkai. I took her in but fear that I can not replace what she has lost." He sighed. "But you are welcome here my friends. Come, come."

Kagome didn't like the way the old man glanced at her and Inuyasha. There was something about him that was putting her on edge. But something he said caught her attention. "Excuse me but you mentioned spider-heads? What are they?"

"The spider-heads are a type of youkai that have been attacking the people living on this mountain since last spring. They trap their victims and paralyze them with poison before devouring them alive. Then they take the heads of their victims and weave their webs through the corpses." He sighed again. Kagome was thoroughly creeped out by his description of the youkai. "Please friends, will you stay the night in the temple? It is dangerous to be out on the mountain at night. That is when the spider-heads are most active. The temple is safe, I have warded it with sutra to keep youkai from attacking. No youkai can enter." He stopped and stared at Inuyasha. "And yet here you are. Could it be that despite appearances, you are a mere mortal?"

Inuyasha began to growl. "Do you need your eyes checked old man?! You must be blind if you think I'm a 'mere mortal'!"

The old man shook his head. "No, your form is that of a youkai but from your soul I sense not a trace of demonic power."

Inuyasha glared at him and opened his mouth to say something but Kagome stopped him by placing her hand on his arm and giving him a pleading look. "Please Inuyasha?" He huffed and crossed his arms in his sleeves but subsided. She turned and bowed to the monk. "We would be most grateful for the accommodations. Actually, we had been coming to this temple when we came across Nazuna. A miko named Kaede said you might have knowledge that could help us with a problem."

The old man waved them to the temple. "Enter, enter. We can discuss your problem after we have eaten."

Again Kagome felt on edge. Something about the way he had said that unnerved her. 'And what did he mean when he said he couldn't sense anything demonic from Inuyasha's **soul**?' But she shrugged and entered the temple, Inuyasha following.

After they had settled into a room to wait for a meal, Kagome turned to Inuyasha. He was sitting with his back to the wall, arms crossed and Tessaiga resting against his shoulder. "Inuyasha? Is something wrong? You've been on edge all day. And you were ready to go off on something so minor. That's not like you. Please tell me what's wrong."

He huffed and ignored her.

"Yes Inuyasha-sama. Kagome-sama is right. You shouldn't be upset by something so minor." Myouga spoke up, startling them. He had been so quiet that they had forgotten he was there. "You should be proud of what you are Inuyasha-sama. Your father was a great youkai lord and your mother was a great mortal. You are a noble mix of both."

"Keh! What's so noble about being a hanyou?" Inuyasha cut him off. 'How did that old monk **know**?' he wondered. He noticed Kagome staring at him. "What?" he asked her more harshly than he had intended. His ears drooped as he took in her fallen expression. 'I can't seem to do anything right today' he thought. He stood up suddenly. "Forget this. I'll sleep outside tonight." He tried to ignore the hurt look on Kagome's face as he approached the shoji and slid it open. He paused as he noticed movement in the forest outside the temple. 'Shit! The temple is surrounded. How did I not smell them?' He noticed that the sun had almost completely set. 'Fucking new moon.' He closed the shoji and turned around when a sound near the ceiling drew his attention. He looked up only to see a mass of what could only be the spider-heads swarming on the ceiling.

Kagome followed his gaze and screamed when she saw them. They were huge for spiders. They had the body of a spider with a human head attached to it. And there were so many. She grasped her bow as Inuyasha stepped in front of her and grabbed her hand. "Let's go wench, this place isn't safe." He was prepared to grab her and run as far as he could when a scream drew their attention to another room.

"That was Nazuna!" Kagome cried and shaking off Inuyasha's grip, she ran toward where the scream had come from. Inuyasha cursed and followed her. The sun was nearly set and he could already feel the change starting.

They reached the other room and saw Nazuna swinging a broom at the spider-heads surrounding her while the old monk lay in the center of the room. His body was covered with spider-heads and Inuyasha knew it was already too late for him. Cursing he grabbed Nazuna and shoved her toward Kagome. He unsheathed Tessaiga and told them "Run, get out of here."

Kagome made to run as he swung the Tessaiga but stopped as she realized something. 'The Tessaiga, it's not transforming?!' She hesitated and Inuyasha noticed.

"What the hell are you standing around for?! GO!"

"But...Inuyasha..." She took a step towards him.

He cursed and swung the untransformed Tessaiga again. 'Damn, it won't transform. Is it because of the new moon?' He saw a spider-head move to attack Kagome and he leaped forward only to have the spider-heads swarm and cover him.

"No! Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as she saw him go down. She grabbed a torch from the wall and swung it, burning the web and spider-heads alike, forcing them back. She grabbed Inuyasha's arm and tugged him free. "Come on Inuyasha, we have to get out of here." His head was covered in webbing and she helped him pull it off with one hand while swinging the torch with the other. Nazuna had grabbed another torch and was also swinging it from the other side. Kagome gasped when the webbing finally came off and she took in Inuyasha's changed appearance. "Inuyasha, what?" His silver hair was now black and his dog ears were gone, with human shaped ones instead located on the sides of his head. He opened his eyes and instead of the usual gold, deep violet stared back at her. He looked human. What had happened to her hanyou? "Inuyasha?" she asked again.

"Keh. No time to explain. We have to get out of here." He gripped Tessaiga and prepared to force their way out when Nazuna screamed.

"M-master!"

They turned and saw the old man. He was hanging in a giant web in the middle of the room. His eyes were open. "Run Nazuna, run away from here."

Inuyasha cursed as he grabbed Nazuna to keep her from rushing forward. "No let me go! I have to save him!" She struggled against his grip.

"If you go in there you'll be killed, you foolish girl." He sighed as the tears streamed down her face. "Wait here, I'll get him." He took the torch from her hand and re-sheathed the Tessaiga before handing it to Kagome. At her surprised look he said "It's useless to me if it won't transform but you can still use it to cut the spiders. And the barrier should protect you." With that he ran forward, swinging the torch to clear the way.

Kagome and Nazuna watched his progress with worry, the former for his sake and the latter for the sake of the monk. They continued to bat away any spider-heads that came near them but most seemed more concerned with the transformed hanyou.

Upon reaching the web, Inuyasha tore apart some of the strands while swinging the torch at any spider-heads that came within reach. The monk opened his eyes to stare at him. "You came...for me?" he asked.

"Keh. The girls wouldn't leave without you" he told him. "Hold on and I'll have you free in a minute." He grasped the old man's arm and pulled, only to be shocked when it stretched. "What the fuck?!"

The monk began to laugh. "Hehehe. You fools fell right into my trap." His stretched out arm shot out, lifting Inuyasha and pinning him to the wall near the ceiling. He laughed harder as he heard the girls' gasps and screams. The spider-heads that had covered his body left, revealing that his body was that of a large spider. He appeared to be a larger version of the spider-heads.

"M-master?" Nazuna stammered out.

But Inuyasha had figured out the truth. "You. You're the leader of these spider-heads, aren't you?"

The now apparent youkai laughed again. "These mountains make excellent feeding grounds. And who would ever suspect the old monk in the temple of being behind the youkai attacks. It has led many a meal to me. But who would have thought it would bring me a miko and a hanyou, and at your time of weakness. Hehehe. My children and I will feast well this night."

Kagome looked around frantically. 'How are we going to get out of the mess we're in **this ****time**?' she wondered. Things didn't look good for them. 'Inuyasha, please hang on. We'll get out of this somehow. I just wish I knew how.'

* * *

And it's another cliffhanger. Sorry. It seems like that is all I have been writing lately. Sorry. But I seem to be on a roll with the chapters so I'll have the next one out soon, I promise. Please review and let me know what you think. And I guarantee that you won't want to miss what happens in the next chapter. It's something that a lot of people have been waiting for.

Also I have a question I need help with. As you might be able to tell, I am following canon to a certain extent and twisting it to my own purposes. This question deals with further in the story so if you're worried about being spoiled stop reading **now**.

As some of you may have guessed they will eventually come across Naraku. But there is no Shikon no Tama, it has already been purified. So that means that Naraku doesn't have shards, which means no incarnations. Sorry if that disappoints anyone. But that leads me to my problem. Goshinki. He was one of Naraku's incarnations. Because he broke Tessaiga, Inuyasha's youkai blood was unsealed and he transformed. I **need** that to happen. But without the jewel there are no incarnations. Any suggestions? Or would it be too unbelievable if I turn Goshinki into an oni that Naraku has made a deal with/tricked into attacking Inuyasha and the others? Please let me know, I'm really stuck on this point. Thanks everybody.


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

I would like to thank everyone who responded to my question in the previous chapter. I have created a poll on my profile page on with the most suggested ideas. Please vote and let me know which one you think would fit the story best. I might or might not choose the idea with the most votes. But I would like to know what everyone thinks. A number of you also posted ideas for later in the story. I was shocked to see several things that I had already planned suggested. It makes me wonder if you guys are psychic or if I'm just that predictable. And no, I won't tell you who suggested them or what they are as that would spoil the story. You'll just have to wait to find out.

* * *

But I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know a lot of you have been eagerly awaiting it.

_Previously_

_The now apparent youkai laughed again. "These mountains make excellent feeding grounds. And who would ever suspect the old monk in the temple of being behind the youkai attacks. It has led many a meal to me. But who would have thought it would bring me a miko and a hanyou, and at your time of weakness. Hehehe. My children and I will feast well this night."_

_Kagome looked around frantically. 'How are we going to get out of the mess we're in **this time**?' she wondered. Things didn't look good for them. 'Inuyasha, please hang on. We'll get out of this somehow. I just wish I knew how.'_

* * *

Inuyasha struggled against the hand pinning him to the wall. Not for the first time he cursed the night of the new moon and his weak human body. Hearing the youkai in front of him boast about eating him and Kagome just pissed him off. The asshole was boasting about how it was so easy when Inuyasha didn't have his youkai powers. "KEH! I don't think so asshole!" He shouted down at him. "Even without my powers I shouldn't have a problem squashing a bug like YOU!" As he spoke he pried the hand holding him loose from his haori while simultaneously swinging his legs up against the wall in order to launch himself forward. He swung down toward the youkai, prepared to attack him any way he could only to be surprised when it launched a spray of webbing out of it's mouth at him. "What?!"

"Fool" the creature laughed as the webbing engulfed Inuyasha. It lunged forward at the trapped transformed hanyou. "Do you think your **weak HUMAN** body can survive my venom?" The creature dove forward and sank it's venomous fangs into Inuyasha's neck and chest, injecting the poison into his body.

"ARGH!" Inuyasha screamed as he felt the poison enter his body. He could feel it burning through his veins, it felt like his whole body was on fire. He was distantly aware of Kagome screaming.

"NOOO! Inuyasha! INUYASHA!!" Kagome screamed as she saw the youkai bite him. Tears were streaming down her face but she didn't care. All she could see was Inuyasha's pain-filled face. His eyes had glazed over and blood was trickling out of his mouth. Her heart pounded in her chest and she heard a rushing sound in her ears. 'No, he can't be dead. No...'

"Hmm?" the youkai turned to face Kagome and Nazuna, leaving Inuyasha hanging in it's web. "Don't worry about him, it's far too late for him. I have filled his body with my venom. It will devour him inside out, inch by inch. Hehehe. Don't worry, you'll be joining him soon enough." With that he shot a spray of webbing at her but she dodged it, running straight at his web and the trapped Inuyasha. She began to climb, mind focused only on reaching her friend. "Foolish girl, you make it far too easy."

More webbing moved to trap her and she instinctively swung the sheathed Tessaiga. There was a hissing sound and then the webbing disintegrated. "What?" she asked, feeling the Tessaiga thrum in her hands.

"The Tessaiga's aura has come to life" Myouga told her as he bounced on her shoulder. "It's barrier will protect you."

She stared at him, wondering where he had come from. "Wait, you never come within a mile of danger. That means I must have a chance!" She renewed her climb as she ignored the flea's outraged protest. Spotting several spider-heads moving towards her, she swung the Tessaiga and knocked them away.

"K-Kagome" a weak voice reached her ears. She looked up and spotted Inuyasha staring at her. 'He's alive!' she thought as she struggled to reach him. "B-baka...Run...away..."

She glared at him. "No! I won't leave you here!" She had nearly reached him. She saw his eyes widen.

"Be...hind...you..."

She lunged forward into his body, tackling him and knocking them both free of the webbing. Glancing behind her as they fell, she saw that she had narrowly avoided being bitten by the large spider-head that had pretended to be the monk. They landed roughly on the ground and Kagome winced as Inuyasha took the brunt of the fall. She pulled him up and slung his arm around her shoulder, supporting his weight as she looked around for a way out. But they were surrounded.

Nazuna ran towards them then, swinging her torch. "Kagome! This way! There's an alcove behind the main altar!" She grabbed Inuyasha's other arm and helped Kagome drag him into the indicated room, then slammed the door shut before the spider-heads could enter. "There. But I don't know how long the door will hold" she said worriedly, staring at it as it rattled.

Myouga spoke up from Kagome's shoulder then, startling Nazuna who hadn't been aware of his presence. "Kagome-sama, the Tessaiga! It's aura should gain us some time!" Kagome quickly unsheathed the sword and drove it into the door. The rattling immediately stopped.

Kagome then turned her attention to Inuyasha. He appeared to be in a bad state. "Inuyasha" she cried. "What are we going to do? He needs help."

"Not to worry Kagome-sama. He need only make it to sunrise and then everything will be fine" Myouga spoke up.

"What do you mean?" she asked. 'How can he be so confident?' she wondered. "And what happened? Why is he human?"

"In the life of every hanyou, there is a time when their youkai blood and powers ebb away, leaving them human and mortal. Since they are most vulnerable at this time, they try to never let anyone discover that such times must come or when they occur. Inuyasha-sama's time of weakness must be the first night that the moon does not appear, or the night of the new moon. He has worked very hard to keep this secret, not even sharing it with me, his most loyal servant." The flea sobbed at this point.

'His time of weakness?' Kagome thought. 'And I forced him to come here. He knew he would be weak, that's why he's been so irritable today. Inuyasha, didn't you trust me?' She felt tears sting her eyes but forced them away, refusing to cry.

The flea youkai calmed. "Anyway, Inuyasha-sama's powers should return at dawn with the sun. We just need to hold out until then."

"But Myouga, Inuyasha was poisoned! He might not have that long!" Kagome felt so helpless. She knelt beside him and clutched at his hand. He felt so cold. "Inuyasha, please..."

"Not to worry Kagome-sama. I'll suck out the poison. I suggest that you not look." With that the flea launched himself onto Inuyasha's neck and began to suck. As he did his body grew until he was twenty times as big as he had been. The girls gasped in shock.

"What is he?!" Nazuna asked as she stared.

"That's Myouga, he's a flea youkai and Inuyasha's servant" Kagome replied weakly as she watched the engorged flea roll around on the floor complaining about how full he was. Suddenly, Inuyasha groaned and she rushed back to his side, shoving Myouga out of the way. "Inuyasha?" She felt tears stream down her face but this time she didn't care.

His eyes fluttered open. "K-Kagome." He stared at her and weakly reached one hand up to her face, wiping at her tears. "Why are you crying?" This wasn't the first time she had cried for him, he remembered. Before her no one had cried for him, not since his mother.

"Baka! I was so worried about you. I was afraid you would die!"

"Keh. Don't be ridiculous. It takes more than that to beat me." 'Don't cry for me. I'm not worth your tears' he thought.

The door rattled again and they turned to look but it held. "Don't worry" Myouga spoke up. "As long as the Tessaiga's aura holds, this is the safest place to be. We need only wait for Inuyasha-sama's powers to return. We shouldn't make any hasty moves."

The others all settled down. Kagome stayed by Inuyasha's side. He had fallen unconscious again. She dabbed at his forehead with the sleeve of her kosode. "Inuyasha, you've just got to recover, please." She stared down at him. He didn't look very comfortable. Looking around she noticed that both Nazuna and Myouga were asleep. The flea was still engorged but noticeably smaller. A groan drew her attention back to Inuyasha. With a sigh she lifted his head and shoulders and slid underneath so that his head was pillowed on her lap. He seemed to relax instantly and she blushed a bit but remained there.

Kagome stared down at his face. A little bit of color had returned and he seemed to be peacefully sleeping now as opposed to unconscious. She wondered what time it was. How long until sunrise? He moved his head in her lap, closer to her stomach. She reached down and brushed his hair from his face, then blushed when she saw his eyes open to stare at her. She had thought he was still sleeping. "How do you feel?" she asked.

He stared up at her, some unknown emotion showing in his eyes. "Better" he rasped out and took a deep breath. He looked so relaxed, so at peace. Then he glared at her. "Don't think I didn't notice that you disobeyed me again when I told you to run. Didn't we just have a discussion about that?"

She glared back. "And I promised I would listen and obey, as circumstances allowed, which they didn't. I wasn't going to just abandon you to be killed." She stopped and tears filled her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked him suddenly. "Didn't you trust me?"

He turned his head, unable to stand seeing her pain. "I was going to. I just didn't know how." He swallowed. This was hard for him to say. "I've never let anyone see me like this. Not since Mother." He glanced back at her and saw the soft look return to her face. "And I was afraid."

"Afraid?" she asked him.

"I didn't want you to see me like this. I didn't want you to see how weak I become when I'm like this. Look at what happened. I couldn't even protect you."

"You're not weak!" They were both taken aback by her outburst before she continued. "You are the strongest and bravest person I know. Even without your powers you threw yourself into the fight, trying to protect us. It's not your physical strength that makes you strong, it's the strength of your heart and yours is the strongest I know." She blushed as she finished and they sat in silence for a few minutes.

Inuyasha took another deep breath. He felt warm and comfortable lying in her lap. He idly wondered what it would be like with his hanyou senses, when he could really smell her. He shifted again. "Thank you" he told her.

"For what?" she asked, honestly confused.

"For letting me rest in your lap." He took another deep breath. "You smell nice" he said causing her to blush again. He reached up and traced the track left by her earlier tears. "Why?" he asked. She looked at him in confusion. "Why did you cry for me? No-one has cried for me since mother."

She couldn't take her eyes off of his face. "I thought you were going to die." Her hands clenched in his haori. "I was so worried. I care about you and the thought of something happening to you..." She broke off as she choked back more tears.

"Shh" His hand stroked her cheek and she reached up to hold it there as she stared down at him. That unknown emotion was back in his eyes. She was drawn to him and felt herself leaning down, closer to his face. "K'gome" he murmured.

"Inuyasha" she breathed as their lips met and her eyes fluttered closed. The kiss was gentle and chaste. As they broke apart she felt her heart pounding in her chest as a blush rose on her cheeks. She stared down at him as he smiled at her and stroked her cheek again before closing his eyes. She continued to stare at him with a smile as her hand rose to touch her lips.

"You should get some sleep too" a voice intruded on her thoughts, causing her to jump. She turned and saw Nazuna watching her with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"H-how long have you been awake?" Kagome asked with a blush. 'At least Inuyasha didn't hear her.'

"Long enough. Don't worry, I tried to ignore it and give you some privacy." That didn't make Kagome feel any better. "But you really should get some rest."

Kagome nodded and leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes. She didn't think she would be able to sleep not with everything that was running through her mind. Inuyasha, the kiss, the spider-heads, the new moon, Inuyasha. But surprisingly she did fall asleep quickly, her dreams filled with Inuyasha. Her last thought before she completely surrendered to sleep was 'I wonder what it would be like to kiss him in his regular body?'

* * *

They awoke to a crash. From the light filtering into the room, sunrise was not long off. But they might not have that long. They stared at the doorway, the door was gone and the spider-heads filled the gap. Looking around for the Tessaiga, they spotted it in Nazuna's hand. "I-I'm sorry" she said. "But it sounded so much like him. Master said that he had been possessed by the youkai. He said he had managed to drive them out. I'm sorry" she said again as she collapsed to her knees.

The large spider-head laughed. "She is such a trusting soul, the fool. I find that trait so endearing, don't you? Hehehe."

Inuyasha cursed and struggled to his feet, shoving Kagome behind him. 'Just a few more seconds' he thought. He could feel his body tingling and knew that the change was almost upon him.

The youkai laughed again. "I think it is time we finish this." He extended his arm, catching Inuyasha and pinning him to the wall. He struggled but couldn't get free. The youkai began to move forward, intending to sink his fangs into Inuyasha's flesh once more. But a pulse from Inuyasha's body stopped him. "No..." the spider-head said. "His powers and youki are returning."

It was Inuyasha's turn to laugh now. He could feel his strength returning. His fingernails hardened and grew into claws and his teeth sharpened into fangs. His hair bled from black to silver, dark eyes turning golden, and he felt his ears shift to reform on the top of his head. He gripped the hand pinning him loose and growled. "You're right. It is time to finish this, once and for all." He launched himself forward, easily avoiding a stream of webbing. With a cry of "Sankon Tessou" he destroyed the spider web as well as some of the youkai's limbs.

"No!" the creature howled. "I will not be defeated like this, not by a hanyou!" He sent his children to attack.

Inuyasha easily dispatched any spider-heads that came near him when Kagome's scream caught his attention. Turning, he felt his heart lurch in his chest when he saw her surrounded by several spider-heads, caught in their web. He lunged in her direction only to be caught by a stream of webbing shot from the spider-head leader. He cursed and struggled to free himself.

Nazuna had been watching the fight from the side. But upon seeing both Kagome and Inuyasha captured, she felt her anger grow. "You tricked me!" she said as she rose to her feet clutching the Tessaiga. "You're responsible for all of the deaths, for my father's death. I'm going to make you PAY!" She ran forward, and stabbed the large spider-head with the Tessaiga.

The youkai roared with pain and then grabbed her with one of it's limbs. Glaring at her, he spoke. "I was going to give you a quick death in thanks, but for that I will make you suffer."

She merely glared at him. "You're the one who is going to die today. Inuyasha!" With that shout she threw the Tessaiga.

Inuyasha was tearing through the webbing holding him, his claws easily shredding it. The only problem was that there was so much and the spider-heads just kept making more. At Nazuna's shout he turned his head and spotted the Tessaiga heading for him. He easily caught it and it transformed in his hand. "Keh. Time to end this." He swung, dispatching with both the webbing and the spider-heads surrounding him. Another swing, and Kagome was free as well. Then he turned and charged at the leader of the spider-heads. "Nazuna, don't move!" He leaped and swung the Tessaiga, cutting through webbing and limb alike that the youkai tried to block with before cutting the youkai in half.

"NOOO!" it cried as it's body fell apart before disintegrating. Nazuna felt herself falling to the ground before Inuyasha caught her and landed beside Kagome. Looking around they saw that all of the webs and spider-heads had vanished.

"I guess when you killed him, all of the smaller youkai vanished as well" Kagome said as she looked around. Turning to the others she asked "Are you alright?"

Inuyasha merely said "Keh, as if a weakling like that could harm me" and crossed his arms.

Nazuna shook her head. Turning to Inuyasha she bowed. "Thank you. You killed the youkai responsible for the attacks and avenged my father. I am in your debt."

"Keh. I didn't do it for you." He glanced at her. "But you're welcome. Anyway, part of the victory goes to you for getting me my sword." He sniffed suddenly and turned to face Kagome. He hurried over to her and began examining her for injuries.

Kagome was taken aback by his behavior. "Inuyasha, what-?"

"Where are you hurt? I can smell the blood but I can't tell where it's coming from?" He was getting frantic. "Why didn't you tell me that you were injured?!"

"What are you talking about? I'm not hurt. Would you stop that, I'm fine!" She tried to still his actions, as she wondered what had gotten into him.

He glared at her. "Don't tell me that! I can smell your blood! Now tell me where you're hurt!"

'But I'm not hurt' she thought. She shifted as she tried to figure out a way to calm him down, when she became aware of a wet, sticky feeling between her legs. 'Oh no.' Her face flushed as she realized exactly what Inuyasha was smelling. It was a little late which is why she hadn't thought about it but then she remembered that stress could affect the cycle. And the past few weeks had definitely been stressful. The stress of the last few days also explained why she hadn't noticed the warning signs. 'Maybe that rosary would have been a good idea' she thought with a furious blush as she tried to figure out what to tell the frantic hanyou who stood in front of her, demanding answers.

After a few minutes of arguing she finally managed to calm him down and convince him that she was unharmed, with a promise to fully explain where the blood was coming from later. She wondered what she was going to do as there was no such things as tampons or maxi pads in this time. Spotting Nazuna, who had been watching the proceedings with confused amusement, Kagome told Inuyasha to stay put and hurried to the other girl. She quickly explained her problem and asked if she had any supplies she could use. Nazuna brought her to her room and proceeded to give her the needed items as well as tell her what to do. Though she was surprised that Kagome didn't already know how to handle it. Kagome managed to put her curiosity off by explaining that she was from a distant land where they had a different type of item to take care of it, an item that she didn't have access to at the moment. Nazuna easily accepted her explanations and then they rejoined an impatient Inuyasha.

Nazuna carried a bag with her few belongings, and Kagome had retrieved her own pack and changed into her blue outfit. Nazuna bowed to them again. "Thank you again. You have shown me that not all youkai are bad. I will try to remember this lesson and try to judge them by their actions." They said their farewells and Nazuna headed for a nearby village while Kagome and Inuyasha restarted their journey.

Kagome became aware of Inuyasha's curious glances and she flushed as she tried to figure a way out of the coming conversation.

* * *

So please tell me what you think. Anybody realize where I was going when I started giving hints about Kagome's smell? I know at least a couple of you did as you mentioned it in your previous reviews. I don't plan to write the actual conversation that Kagome has with Inuyasha but I will show the aftermath. And we still need to show the aftermath of that kiss. Did I make anyone happy? And look, it wasn't really a cliffhanger this time.


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

I'm sorry for the wait everybody. I've had this chapter mostly done for a while but I don't like to post until I have the next chapter mostly written. I find it easier to spot continuity errors that way. And the next chapter gave me so many problems. So again, sorry.

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome walked in silence. They were both still blushing from Kagome's explanation and were refusing to look at each other. Inuyasha found that it explained so much. He could remember when he was younger and his mother was alive. There were times he had smelled her blood and thought that she was injured. She would always tell him that she was fine and she would explain when he was older. But she died before she could. His ears drooped at the memory and he shook his head to clear it. After that, he had avoided human settlements for the most part, not being welcome because of his mixed blood. He had survived in the forests with little contact with humans, especially not women. Shaking his head, he thought 'was it any wonder that he didn't know something this important.' He smirked as a thought occurred to him. 'Women have their own time of weakness.' When he put it like that it made sense in a way he could understand. He shuddered as he remembered Kagome's explanation. 'It can last up to a week! I think I prefer turning human for one night to going through THAT for a week!' Another thought occurred to him and he turned to glare at Myouga but found that the flea had ran off some time ago.

Kagome continued to blush as they walked. She had never expected to have to explain THAT to a boy, especially a boy she had kissed. That thought reminded her of the kiss and she blushed even harder. She thought about how she felt about it. It was her first kiss, and she felt all warm inside just thinking about it. But how did she feel about Inuyasha? He was her friend and she cared deeply about him. When she thought he was going to die, it felt like something had broken inside of her. Did that mean she cared about him as more than a friend? She was so confused. And what about his feelings for her. She wondered about how he saw her. Sure he protects her and has risked his life to save hers several times but does that mean he saw her as more than a friend. She risked a glance at him but he appeared to be deep in thought. 'He hasn't said anything about the kiss. Does he regret it?' she wondered. She tried to gather the courage to ask him.

Inuyasha's thoughts had also turned to the kiss. He wondered what it would feel like to do that now that he had his hanyou senses and could really taste and smell her. Her lips had felt so soft and warm against his own. He cursed himself. 'Baka! Why are you thinking like that? Why did you even kiss her in the first place?' But he knew why he had done it. He was always more emotional when he was human. 'Just forget about it' he told himself. 'Maybe she's forgotten and won't bring it up.' He didn't think that was very likely. A thought occurred to him and he stiffened, ears drooping on top of his head. 'What if she only allowed it because I was human at the time?' He sighed. 'Of course. Who would want to kiss a filthy hanyou.' As he was thinking these things he ignored the little voice in his head that tried to tell him that Kagome didn't see him that way. He was drawn from his thoughts by Kagome's voice.

"Inu-Inuyasha" she blushed as she tried to keep her voice steady. She needed answers, she couldn't chicken out. When he turned and looked at her she almost lost her nerve. "A-about last night-"

Inuyasha began to panic. She was going to bring up the kiss. "F-forget about it wench. Let's just forget it happened."

Kagome stopped dead at that. 'He wants to pretend it didn't happen?' She felt tears fill her eyes and wondered why his rejection hurt so much.

Inuyasha smelled her tears and turned to face her, even more panicked. "Oi, d-don't cry" he ordered.

Kagome felt herself become angry at that. She was always quicker to anger at this time of the month but she didn't feel like holding back just then. "How can you stand there and tell me to just forget about it?! That was my first kiss! It was special and now you want to pretend that it didn't happen!" She turned away and tried to gain control before she did or said something that she would regret. "I thought it meant something to you as well" she said quietly as she remembered the emotion she had seen his eyes the night before.

Inuyasha felt his heart clench as he saw the pain on her face and heard it in her voice. He swallowed hard and said "I-it did." When she turned to face him he continued. "It did, does mean something to me. It was my first kiss as well." He swallowed again.

"Th-then why?" she asked him plaintively. "Why did you tell me to forget that it happened?" She clutched at his haori, eyes pleading to know the answer.

"I-I thought that was what you wanted. I mean who would really want to kiss a hanyou like me?" He closed his eyes as he asked "Didn't you only allow it because I was human?" He was shocked to feel her hand tugging on him suddenly, pulling him down, and his eyes shot open as something soft and warm touched his lips. 'She's kissing me?!' he thought and his eyes fluttered closed again. His arms grasped her and pulled her closer to his body, feeling her arms wrap around him in return. He found he couldn't think, he was lost in the sensations of the kiss. All too soon the kiss ended. But instead of pulling away they remained there, holding each other.

Kagome wasn't sure what had gotten into her. All she knew was that when he said that she had only kissed him because he was human at the time she had to prove him wrong. So she had kissed him again. She only wanted to prove him wrong. But as she felt him respond, she lost herself to the kiss. When she felt him pull her closer she shifted her arms to wrap around his body. She felt like she was floating. All she could focus on was the feel of his lips on hers. Eventually, they broke apart but she continued to hold him. Looking up at the dazed and confused expression on his face, she remembered why she had initiated that kiss. "Don't say things like that. I care about you, a lot. I don't care that you're a hanyou. Please don't reject me for other people's views."

Inuyasha continued to stare at her. 'Who is this amazing creature?' he wondered. 'How can she make me feel this way?' He hugged her tighter to him and said "I'm sorry."

She smiled gently at him. "I don't know how it felt for you but to me, **that** was special. I don't want to pretend it didn't happen." She stepped back and grabbed his hand. "Come on. Let's get moving." He smiled softly at her and she felt her heart skip a beat. Then they continued on, hand in hand in companionable silence.

It was when they had stopped for lunch that Myouga made his presence known. They had just finished their meal when Inuyasha slapped the side of his neck.

"Ouch!" The flea re-inflated with a pop. "Oh Inuyasha-sama! I found it!"

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged looks of confusion. "Found what Myouga-jiji?"

The excited flea hopped up and down. "In the forest up ahead there is a steel wasp hive. The Tessaiga's sheath can be fully repaired."

"Great!" Inuyasha said and they followed the flea's directions. But upon reaching the location, they hesitated. The hive was large and swarming with wasps. Kagome gulped. They looked dangerous. She didn't want to be stung by one of them.

Inuyasha had Kagome stay back while he carefully followed Myouga's directions and laid the Tessaiga in it's sheath beside the hive. He then backed away. The wasps immediately began to swarm over the sword and sheath. After a few minutes, they could see that the wasps were covering the sheath with wax.

After about an hour of waiting Inuyasha began to get impatient. He stood up and complained "Aren't they done yet?!" He was prepared to go and grab the sword despite the wasps when Myouga stopped him.

"No Inuyasha-sama! You must allow them to do their work." The flea hopped up and down on Inuyasha's shoulder to emphasize his point. "The wax of the steel wasps is the only thing that can fully seal the crack on the Tessaiga's sheath. And they will not let it be taken from them until they are finished. If you try to remove it before they are ready, they will sting you to death! And then they will attack anyone else in the area!" Myouga added the last part, knowing that while the hanyou might risk his own safety, he wouldn't risk Kagome's.

It worked. Inuyasha huffed but sat back down next to Kagome. "Keh, fine! But how long is this going to take?" he grumbled.

"Not to worry Inuyasha-sama. I have no doubt that they will be finished by nightfall" the flea told him.

"Nightfall?! You mean this is gonna take all day?!" The hanyou continued to grumble and complain. At least until he felt a light touch on his shoulder. Turning, he blushed as he spotted Kagome. She had fallen asleep and now had her head resting on his shoulder. He quieted, not wanting to disturb her rest. 'She stayed up most of the night to take care of me' he thought. He carefully shifted her so that she lay with her head in his lap. After all, it was only fair that he return the favor, right? He sat there and stared at her. He remembered his earlier thought and turned to glare at the flea on his shoulder. "Oi! Why didn't you ever tell me that women have their own times of weakness?"

The old flea began to sweat. "I'm sorry Inuyasha-sama. But whenever I would try to bring the subject up you would become flustered and squish me before telling me to shut up. Just like when I tried to tell you that Kagome-sama was in heat."

Inuyasha thought about it. He could recall a number of times when he had squished the flea when he brought up one embarrassing topic or another. "Sorry" he mumbled. Then something else the flea had said caught his attention and he frowned. "What did you mean about Kagome being in heat?"

"A female goes into heat right before what you call their 'time of weakness'. Though I wouldn't let any of them hear you refer to it that way, they can be quite sensitive about that type of thing." At Inuyasha's glare he hastily returned to the topic at hand. "Anyway, when a female is in heat, it means they are fertile or their body is ready to mate and conceive offspring. If the female does not mate or conceive any offspring within a certain time, then they enter their 'time of weakness.'"

Inuyasha nodded at the explanation. It seemed simple enough. But another thought occurred to him. "So how did you know Kagome had entered heat anyway?"

The flea sweat-dropped again as he wondered how his master had never learned these things. "Her blood changed. You should also have noticed as her scent had also changed." He gave the hanyou a knowing look.

Inuyasha blushed as he realized why Kagome had smelled so good a few days ago. "K-keh" he muttered. At least it explained why his body had reacted the way it had. He turned to stare at Kagome again as she murmured in her sleep. He reached out and brushed the hair from her face, and she settled down again. He continued to sit there, content to just gaze at her sleeping form.

After an hour or two she began to stir. Yawning, she opened her eyes and blushed. She hadn't meant to fall asleep. Upon realizing where she was her blush deepened. "Inuyasha?"

"Keh" he said, face matching his haori. "J-just returning the favor."

She gave him a small smile and said "You smell nice." He blushed further and she sat up but reached out to grasp his hand. They remained like that for several hours, just enjoying each other's company. A short time before sunset they noticed the activity near the hive change. They looked and saw the wasps leaving the Tessaiga and entering the hive.

"There, Inuyasha-sama. The Tessaiga's sheath is ready. You may now retrieve it."

Inuyasha got up and carefully approached the hive. He gripped his sword and when no wasps appeared to attack him, he returned to the others. He examined the sheath but could find no sign of the previous damage. "Come on" he said. "Let's go find someplace to make camp." They ended up back in the clearing where they had eaten lunch earlier that day. Inuyasha left Kagome to set up camp while he quickly caught dinner. Neither noticed when Myouga left again and didn't return.

After they had eaten they began to settle down for the night. As he handed Kagome his haori in what was becoming a nightly ritual, he told her "Make sure you get some rest tonight. Tomorrow I want to make up for the time we lost today."

She gave him a smile and said "goodnight" before settling down. She pulled his haori to her face and breathed in his scent before she fell asleep.

Inuyasha stared at her for a few minutes before jumping into a tree and finding his own rest.

He awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. He had really needed the rest. Glancing up at the sky, he saw the sun just beginning to rise above the horizon. He jumped down and landed beside Kagome. "Oi wench time to get up." He frowned when she merely curled up into a tighter ball and ignored him. "Come on. I told you I wanted to get an early start." He knelt down and shook her shoulder but was startled when she let out a hiss of pain. "Kagome?" he asked worried.

Kagome curled up into a tighter ball. Her cramps were really painful this time. She wondered what was going on. They had never felt this bad before. She was distantly aware of Inuyasha's voice. "N'yasha" she mumbled out as wrapped her arms around her stomach. "Hurts" she gasped out.

Inuyasha was near panicking. Was she sick? She didn't smell sick. But he could detect her bleeding was heavier than the day before. 'Is that it?' he wondered. 'But is it supposed to be like that or is something wrong?' He didn't know and cursed his lack of knowledge. A flash of memory came to him then. One of the times he had smelled his mother's blood. He had thought she had been sick, dying even. She had laid in bed all day, clearly in pain. She had clutched herself just as Kagome was now. He remembered he had been frightened, not knowing what to do to help her. She had gestured for him to join her and he had laid his head on her stomach. She had seemed a little better after that. He wondered. 'Could that be it?'

Kagome was in agony. She would kill for some type of pain reliever. A sudden warm pressure on her side drew her attention. She felt it again. The pain was receding. She forced her eyes open and looked. Inuyasha had placed his hand on her side and was massaging the pain away. It felt so good. She sighed with relief and relaxed. After awhile the pain faded and she felt him shift her and repeat his actions on her other side. 'Am I in heaven?' she absently wondered. Soon the pain had completely gone and she managed to sit up.

"Are you alright now?" Inuyasha asked her.

She beamed at him. "Much better. Thank you Inuyasha."

"Keh" he blushed. "I'll go catch us some breakfast. Why don't you clean up?"

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "A bath sounds nice" she told him and grabbed her things. She figured that she might as well clean her dirty clothing while she washed herself. A short time later, she stepped out of the stream and re-dressed, feeling much better. She rejoined Inuyasha and they ate in peace.

He spoke up suddenly, breaking into her thoughts. "Is-is it always that bad?" he asked her.

She looked at him and saw the genuine concern on his face. "No. I think it was only this bad because of stress and the fact that it was late. It is usually much more manageable." She smiled at him. "Thank you again. I don't know how you knew what to do but you really helped."

He glanced away. "I remembered something from when my mother was alive. She was in pain, lying in her bed and I could smell her blood. I didn't know what was wrong but when I put pressure on her stomach, it seemed to help. I thought it might help now. I'm glad I was able to help you." He turned back to face her. "If you're feeling better we should get moving."

With that they started to pack up camp. Kagome frowned as she wondered what she should do. The pain was greatly reduced but she still didn't feel up to walking. The decision was taken out of her hands as Inuyasha lifted her onto his back. At her surprised gasp he said "I told you I wanted to cover more ground today. This way is faster." Still she couldn't help but notice that his hands on her legs were a little gentler and his jumps weren't as big so they didn't bounce as much.

* * *

Kagome stared into the fire. It had been a little over a week since the night of the new moon. As she watched the flames she contemplated how things had changed in that time. That day after they had repaired the Tessaiga's sheath they had traveled quickly, only stopping for their bodies needs. That night they had sat by the fire and shared stories. Inuyasha had opened up further about his childhood with his mother and Kagome was touched as she could tell that he deeply cherished those memories. That he was willing to share them with her told her a great deal about how he cared for her. In exchange, she had told him about her father who had died when she was a little girl. They spoke late into the night, falling asleep when they could no longer stay awake. They awoke the next morning to find that they had snuggled up to each other in their sleep. They had blushed but there was little of the previous awkwardness as they had grown more comfortable with each other.

After that they had fallen into a routine. Kagome sighed as she thought about it. They traveled during the day and at night they shared their pasts. They could feel themselves becoming closer to one another. They hadn't kissed again but they found that they were constantly touching one another, be it a pat here, or a caress there. They also found themselves holding hands quite often. They didn't really come across very many people as they traveled since they tended to avoid the main roads. As a result, they had become used to being by themselves and having only each other for company. Things had been mostly peaceful, only a few low level youkai had been foolish enough to attack them and Inuyasha had easily dispatched them.

In fact, the only real complaint that Inuyasha had made was grumbling about how often she had to stop and her need for daily bathing. But she couldn't help that she had felt so disgusting. She had also noticed how the scent of her blood had seemed to affect him, that he kept looking her over for injuries before blushing and looking away. They were both glad when her cycle finally ran its course and finished.

Kagome sighed again. She was so confused. They had been growing so close over the last few days. But she was unsure of her feelings. She knew that she cared a great deal about the hanyou and thought, no, she knew he cared about her as well. But she was unsure at the depth of those feelings. 'Is this love?' she wondered. She didn't know. She wished she could speak to her mother. 'Mama, you were always able to help me understand my feelings. I miss you.' She felt a wave of homesickness and blinked unshed tears away as she realized just how much she missed her family. A clawed hand grasped her shoulder, drawing her out of her reverie.

"Oi wench, you alright?" Inuyasha asked as he peered into her face. "You seemed far away for a few minutes."

She tried to smile at him but it came out weak. "I was just thinking about how much I missed my family. Do you think this priest we're going to see might know anything that could help us?"

Inuyasha tensed as he remembered why they were traveling in the first place. 'That's right, we're trying to find a way for her to get back to her own time.' He had nearly forgotten, he had become so used to her presence that he didn't know what he would do if she did find a way home. Could he really let her go? Could he really go back to being alone? He noticed that she was waiting for an answer and sighed. "I don't know." It was the answer to both her question as well as his unspoken ones.

She merely nodded and returned her gaze to the fire. He continued to stare at her. "Would it be so bad?" he asked her suddenly. She turned to look at him, a look of confusion wrinkling her brow. "I mean, if we can't find a way for you to get home. Would it really be so bad?" His ears flattened against his head as he waited for her answer. 'Why did I ask that?' he wondered. He could feel his heart pounding within his chest, it seemed to get louder the longer she took to answer.

Kagome was taken aback by his question. 'Why would he ask that?' she wondered. But she paused and thought about it. It was true that she missed her family but being with Inuyasha made up for it. The pain didn't seem so bad when he was there. She thought about it a little longer. Could she adjust to this era if she had to? Would it really be so bad? Staring at Inuyasha she found her answer. Yes, she could learn to adjust, and no, it wouldn't be so bad.

She reached out and grasped Inuyasha's hand. When his eyes rose to meet hers she gave him a smile. "No" she told him gently. "It wouldn't be too bad. I would miss my family but I think I could learn to adjust to living in this time. At least, I could as long as I had you with me." She squeezed his hand and felt an answering squeeze as she blushed and looked away.

Inuyasha felt his heart rate return to normal at her answer. Remembering the last part of her statement he reached out and gently gripped her chin before turning her head to face him. He stared at her intently, his face serious as his golden eyes bored into her blue ones. "You'll always have me" he told her quietly. "For as long as you need me." He tugged her forward into a gentle embrace. They stayed like that for a long while, simply basking in the presence of the other. Neither of them was aware of the changes to their relationship that the next day would bring or the trials that they would face.

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Please let me know what you think of this chapter. There were a few parts I wasn't sure about and may go back and edit later. And hey, it wasn't really a cliffhanger. Just a hint that something big is going to happen in the next chapter, which I'll try to get out soon. But I can't make any promises. It might take a few days.


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

* * *

Kagome sighed as the village came into sight. According to Kaede's scroll, on the outskirts of this village there should be a shrine with a priest that might be able to answer some questions about the Bone Eater's Well or the Goshinboku of whose wood it was made of. Kagome also needed new arrows. The others had all been destroyed during the battle with the Thunder Brothers. She turned to her traveling companion. "Well, shall we go?"

"Keh" but he followed her lead. They walked up the path to the village. He kept his ears trained for any sign of trouble. There were few villagers around, it was mid-afternoon so most were in the fields tending to the crops and finishing their work for the day. The few that were around would draw back and murmur about youkai upon spotting Inuyasha. He tensed as he noticed their reactions. This was why he hated coming into human settlements, preferring to remain in the forest. He hated the way people always reacted to him. It would start out small, pointing and whispers, then it would escalate and he would be chased out of the village. He glanced at Kagome and resolved to keep a close eye on her. If things were to turn violent, he didn't want her to get caught in the middle of it.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha and noticed that he had tensed. She knew from their nightly conversations that he didn't feel comfortable in human villages. He had too many bad memories attached to them. Without giving it much thought, she reached out and grasped his hand, smiling at him when he shot her a look. She felt him relax at the small contact and they approached the shrine. There was a priest outside but his back was turned to them as he tended to his duties. "Excuse me" Kagome began "but we are looking for a priest named Daichi-sama. Is that you?"

He said "Forgive me if I continue my work while we talk. But no I am not Daichi-sama. I must regrettably inform you that he passed on two moons ago. I am Nobuo-sama. Perhaps I may be of assistance."

Kagome was disappointed to learn that they priest they were looking for was dead. But perhaps this man had some knowledge that could help them. "Well, a miko named Kaede-sama thought that Daichi-sama might have knowledge about a well located on the outskirts of her village in Edo. It is known as the Bone Eater's Well. Have you heard of it?"

He paused in his work. "No, I can't say that I have. In Edo, you say?" And he began to turn around. He froze upon spotting Inuyasha and his eyes widened. "Youkai!"

Kagome hastened to calm him. "No, it's alright. This is Inuyasha, a friend of mine. Don't worry, he's a good person. He won't harm you."

But Nobuo refused to be placated. "You DARE bring a youkai HERE, to this sacred shrine?" He was shaking with rage.

Inuyasha didn't like where this was going. He reached out and grabbed Kagome, pulling her back to his side and away from the angry priest. Nobuo's eyes narrowed as he saw how familiar Inuyasha was being by so casually touching her. Inuyasha was about to suggest that they get out of there when a commotion caught his attention. Turning, he cursed himself for becoming so focused on the priest that he forgot to pay attention to his surroundings. While they were busy with the priest one of the villager's must have run to the fields to gather the men because they were all coming up the road with weapons. He was about to toss Kagome on his back and run when a searing pain came over him and he fell to the ground as he felt his strength leave him. He was distantly aware of Kagome yelling but his mind was consumed by the pain.

"NO! Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out as she saw the priest slap an ofuda on the hanyou's back, causing him to fall to the ground. She felt hands grab her and she struggled against. "No! Let me go! We didn't do anything!" One of her captors silenced her by covering her mouth with his hand.

"Do not let her go!" Nobuo ordered the villagers. "She brought this foul creature to our sacred shrine. Such a vile act must be punished." The angry villagers began to murmur in agreement.

One of the village women called out. "I saw them as they entered the village. She was holding the monster's hand! She is nothing but a youkai whore!"

Kagome felt as if the ground had fallen out from under her. 'What?' She listened in shock as the villagers called her vile names. Slut, whore, traitor to humanity. 'How can they act like this? I've done nothing to them.'

Nobuo raised his arms as if to placate the crowd and they quieted. "Now, now my good friends" he told the villagers. "It is possible that the girl has simply been misled or even enchanted. Let us first deal with this filthy creature" he spat on the ground in front of Inuyasha to make his point. "Then we shall see if the girl is repentant."

The crowd cheered at that. They began to yell out suggestions. "Yeah, kill the beast. Let's hang him!" one man shouted.

"No, cut off his head!" another called out.

"How about burning him to death?!"

Kagome renewed her struggles upon hearing them. She couldn't believe that they were talking about killing Inuyasha. He hadn't done anything to them! And each suggestion was more gruesome than the last. She had to save him, he wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for her. But the men holding her were too strong.

Nobuo again calmed the crowd. "My friends, we must do this right. This foul creature desecrated our shrine so his blood must be spilled here to remove the taint. And in order to prevent the beast from reviving, we must cut off his head and then burn his remains."

The villagers began to praise him. "You are wise Nobuo-sama." "Whatever you say Nobuo-sama." "It will be done Nobuo-sama."

Kagome couldn't listen to anymore of this. She sunk her teeth into the hand covering her mouth. Once it was removed she began to shout. "Why are you doing this? What have we ever done do harm you?! Just let us go. I promise that we'll leave and never come back. There is no need for any of this!" But her words fell on deaf ears.

"Shut up youkai whore! Or you'll meet the same fate." The villagers yelled and jeered at her.

Her hands were bound behind her back and she watched helplessly as they quickly erected an altar in front of the shrine. They sat her down in front of it where she would be able to see everything up close. She watched in horror as they laid Inuyasha's paralyzed body on top of the makeshift altar. She could see the axe set to the side of the makeshift altar. She was vaguely aware of the priest making another speech to the villagers but all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears. She couldn't take her eyes off of Inuyasha's still form. He looked to be in so much pain. Suddenly everything went quiet. She raised her eyes from Inuyasha and spotted Nobuo standing behind the altar, axe in hand. He raised it above his head and something inside Kagome snapped.

"NOOO!" she screamed as she shot to her feet and threw herself over Inuyasha's still form. She waited for the expected pain but it never came. Instead, she heard panicked shouts from the villagers. She lifted her head and spotted something shimmering around the altar. Beyond that she could see Nobuo sitting on the ground with a look of shock on his face, the remains of the axe still clutched in his hand. She looked closer at the shimmering energy. It reminded her of when the Tessaiga had protected her from Sesshomaru's poison. 'Is that a barrier?' she wondered. She thought maybe it was the Tessaiga, protecting them again but realized that the energy didn't feel demonic or like youki. In fact, it felt like her own energy. 'Did I somehow create it?'

She shook her head to clear it. The villagers were beginning to get over their shock and were approaching the barrier. They threw things at it and pounded on it with their weapons but Kagome was relieved to see it hold. But she didn't know how long it would continue to last. She needed to free Inuyasha and get out of there. But to do that she first had to remove the ofuda from him. Not an easy task when the ofuda is on his back and she is laying sideways across his body with her hands bound behind her back.

Outside the barrier Nobuo had risen to his feet. "A barrier?!" he cried in disbelief. He could sense the spiritual energy behind the barrier. He had never felt so much power. He stared at the girl. How could this be? "A dark miko!" he cried out. "She has obviously made a dark deal with the youkai to have gained such power. They must both be destroyed at once!" He retrieved his staff from the wall of the shrine and swung it at the barrier. He rallied the villagers into renewing their assault on the barrier.

After a lot wiggling, Kagome managed to shift her body so that she was lying face to face with Inuyasha across the front of his body. She flushed at the position they were in and hoped that he wasn't aware of what was going on. She put that thought out of her mind. She had to hurry. She could now feel each blow against the barrier and knew that it wouldn't last much longer. Luckily the ofuda was up near his shoulder, so after shifting a bit more she was able to reach it. But she was puzzled as to how she would remove it without the use of her hands. With no other choice, she leaned forward and grabbed it with her teeth, tearing it away from him just as she felt the barrier begin to give way.

Once the ofuda was removed Inuyasha found himself able to move again. He grabbed Kagome from where she laid across his body and leaped away from the altar as the barrier fell away. He had been conscious the whole time, just in pain from the spiritual energy that invaded his body and left him unable to move. He had inwardly cursed Kagome, unable to voice the words, when she had thrown herself over him. He resolved to have a long discussion about that with her later, after they got out of this mess. His heart had stopped when he had seen the axe falling towards her body. He had been shocked and relieved when the barrier had appeared. But when he felt her wiggling over his body the way she had he was grateful that the ofuda kept his body from reacting. 'I think that was more of a shock than the barrier' he absently thought as he landed a distance away from the mob of villagers.

He quickly set Kagome down and sliced through the rope binding her hands. "Stay behind me" he ordered her as he turned to face the villagers. They were between them and the way out of the village. He didn't want to hurt them, at least not too badly, but he would have to deal with them before they could leave. Otherwise, they could end up being chased by a crazed mob, one that could quickly grow if they spread the word to other villages of a youkai attack. He cracked his knuckles and glared at the villagers. "Back off" he growled. Several took a step back, afraid to face him now that he was free to move.

But Nobuo stepped forward, urging them on. "No, we must stop them. They are evil! They must be destroyed before they destroy our village." His words rallied the villagers and they once more began to approach, believing that they were protecting their homes and families with their actions.

Inuyasha growled again and reached for Tessaiga. But he hesitated, unsure if it would transform against humans. He didn't want to hurt them, just scare them off before they hurt Kagome. He knew that they just wanted to protect their loved ones. He briefly wondered at his reaction. Before he had met Kagome he wouldn't have thought much of hurting them to escape. He wouldn't have killed them but he wouldn't have cared if he had to injure them. But now that he had her acceptance, something he had always yearned for, he found he didn't want to hurt anybody, especially not in front of Kagome. He wondered how she could change him so much in so little time. He shook those thoughts away to focus on the matter at hand. It didn't matter right now why he had changed, just that he had. And he had to find a way out without injuring anybody. It was the priest that was the real problem. If he could just shut him up he might have a chance of convincing the villagers to let them go in peace. He tried to reason with them though he didn't think it would work. "Look, I don't want to hurt you. Just let us leave and we'll never bother you again."

Several of the villagers looked unsure at his words but Nobuo spoke up quickly. "Don't listen to the beast! Can't you see that he is trying to trick you into letting down your guard? We must not let them get away! If we let them escape they'll return later to slaughter all of us!"

His words made the villagers continue forward. The men clutched their weapons as they approached where Inuyasha and Kagome were standing. Inuyasha cursed and tried to think of a way out that wouldn't seriously harm anyone. A rock suddenly came flying at his head and he batted it aside. He looked and spotted the women and children to one side. A small boy bent and grabbed another rock. "Yeah, get him. Get the monster" he threw the rock at Inuyasha again. Inuyasha growled as others joined in. Even if he could bring himself to fight against the men, he couldn't bring himself to hurt women and children. He continued to dodge and bat aside the projectiles while keeping an eye on the approaching men.

Suddenly he heard a pained yelp from behind him. He glanced back and saw Kagome holding her arm. She smiled weakly at him. "I'm alright Inuyasha" she hastened to convince him. "It just grazed me when I tried to glance around you." With a start, he realized that one of the rocks had hit her. He cursed himself for not paying better attention and protecting her better. He pulled her closer to his body so he could shield her. "Don't move" he told her before facing the villagers again. It was time to get serious.

The village men were nearly upon them. They had grown a bit braver upon seeing the rock hit Kagome. "Look, no barrier this time" one pointed out.

"Maybe she could only do it once" another said. They grew braver at that and ran forward to attack.

Inuyasha growled and drew Tessaiga. He needed to protect Kagome. The sword pulsed in his hand and transformed.

The men halted and shrank back in fear upon spotting the fang. "He's got a demonic weapon" one man yelled as he scrambled back in fear.

Even Nobuo briefly stepped back in shock. He had examined the weapon but hadn't sensed anything from it. It had appeared to be just a rusty old katana, so he hadn't seen the harm in leaving it with the youkai. But now he realized his error. He grasped his staff tighter. "Come, we must destroy them." But the villagers continued to back away, scared and doubtful. They didn't want to face a weapon like that. "Fine" Nobuo said. "I will deal with them myself." He had confidence that his spiritual powers would protect him. He charged forward, swinging his staff.

Inuyasha simply smirked at the fool's overconfidence. He raised the Tessaiga and easily sliced the staff in half. "What?" he asked at the priest's look of horror. "You thought that stick of yours was a match for my Tessaiga?"

Nobuo shook with rage. "I'll still get you, you filthy monster. Let's see your sword handle my sacred sutra." He flung a handful of ofuda at the hanyou.

Inuyasha cursed his own overconfidence as he saw the ofuda flying at him. He really didn't want to be sealed again. He did a double take when he saw Kagome step out in front of him. "Oi!"

Kagome ignored Inuyasha as she watched the ofuda approach. She knew it would be bad to let them touch Inuyasha. She concentrated and focused like Kaede had taught her, calling on her spiritual powers. She let her aura build and surround her before extending it. As the ofuda encountered her aura, they caught fire and burned away. She opened her eyes to see everyone gaping in shock. "What?" she asked.

Nobuo recovered from his shock. "See? I told you she is a dark miko! That is the only way to explain her powers when she consorts with youkai. She must be destroyed." But the villagers were now even more reluctant to face them.

Kagome felt Inuyasha tug her back behind him and she clutched at Inuyasha's haori at the priest's words. But she could not contain her outburst. "Hey! I'm not a dark miko. I'm not even a miko. It is true that I've had some miko training but that doesn't make me a miko. And why should being friends with Inuyasha affect my powers? He's a good person." She felt Inuyasha push her more firmly behind him and decided to remain quiet for the moment. She saw that her words hadn't helped the situation like she thought they would.

Nobuo took her words as confirmation of her guilt. "You see? She admits that she consorts with youkai, claiming them her 'friends' and still possesses powers. She must have made a dark deal with the denizens of the lowest hell for that to happen. Destroy her at once!"

Inuyasha growled at the priest's words. He dared to threaten Kagome? Not while Inuyasha was around. He felt her move to step around him again and grabbed her hand and pulled her back behind him with a warning growl to stay there. He glared at the priest. "There's nothing dark or evil about Kagome, you stupid bastard! Hell if it weren't for her I probably wouldn't have cared if I injured you fools or not. I would have just torn through you and left."

His words gave the villagers pause. One man who hadn't even wanted to get involved spoke up. "Hey, he's got a point. He hasn't even tried to fight us. All he's done is dodge despite our attempts to attack. Why are we attacking?"

Several others began to murmur in agreement. They wanted no part of this. Those two were dangerous between the youkai's sword and strength and the woman's powers. Why shouldn't they just let them go?

Nobuo looked listened to them and realized that he was losing them. "No!" he cried. "All youkai are evil and must be destroyed. If we let them go they will just return later to destroy us!"

But the villagers weren't listening. One of the older villagers stepped forward. "No Nobuo-sama. We will listen to you no longer. I remember when Daichi-sama was still around. He taught us to be kind and merciful. There were several youkai that lived peacefully nearby until recently." He turned to face the other villagers. "Don't you remember that family of badger youkai that lived just down the river. How they helped us build a dam and saved one of the boys that fell in the river? They had never done anything to harm us and we had all coexisted peacefully." The villagers began to murmur louder. They were clearly moved by the man's words. He turned to face Nobuo. "That is, until you came. You came and said you wanted to learn under Daichi-sama, who was getting on in years. And then he passed away. You claimed his death was a punishment from the Kami for allowing the youkai to live. You tricked us into killing the badger youkai. And then problems began in our once peaceful village. The crops died, hunting was poor, several villagers became ill. And each time you would place the blame on some youkai or other that had never done us any harm. And you would lead us out to exterminate them. Well I say no more. We will follow your orders no longer."

Nobuo's face had grown redder the longer the old man had continued. Many of the villagers appeared to be in agreement. But he saw that some of the younger ones still looked doubtful and might listen to him. "You fools! You stupid, old fools! I am a priest, a servant of the Kami. You dare to think you know more about their will than I? If you allow these two to live the Kami will deliver their wrath upon you. Youkai will descend upon this village to destroy it. Your families will be slaughtered, fields and houses destroyed, livestock devoured. They will loot and plunder, rape and kill. Not a soul will be left alive!" Nobuo's speech worked. The younger men, those prone to rash behavior felt their blood boil at his words. They snatched up their weapons and charged forward, ignoring the other villagers who called out for them to stop.

Inuyasha cursed and re-sheathed the Tessaiga. He would have to fight after all and he didn't want to kill the fools. He darted forward to keep them from getting too close to Kagome, and proceeded to take out the small group of men. He was careful to pull his punches, not wanting to badly injure them, and he proceeded to knock them all out. He then backed away, returning to stand protectively in front of Kagome.

"Look how easily he took them out" one villager gasped.

Nobuo was shocked at how easily the men had been taken out. But hearing the villager he felt some confidence return. "You see? Look at what he has done to your fellow villagers. We must attack him now, together or all is lost." But he was shocked when the villagers simply shook their heads at him.

The same man who had spoken earlier again spoke up. "No, we will not attack. Yes, he fought our fellow villagers but he was defending himself and the girl. Did you not see how easily he took them out? He could have done that at any time but instead they tried to talk to us, to leave peacefully without fighting. And look closer at the fallen men. They are still alive, and appear to be uninjured, merely unconscious. The youkai even put his sword away before facing them. He could have killed them all if he had wanted to but he didn't. So no, we will not listen to you any longer." The other villagers murmured their agreement. "In fact, perhaps it is time for you to leave. You are no longer welcome in our village with your violent preachings. You have brought us nothing but trouble and we will tolerate it no longer."

Nobuo's face turned red with rage. "You fools!" But he saw that all of the villagers appeared to be in agreement. "It will be on your heads when the Kami decide to punish you. Don't forget that I warned you." He marched into the shrine to collect his belongings. As he departed he thought about attacking again but one look at Inuyasha's growling face discouraged him and he hastily left the village, vowing to one day gain his revenge upon the two he believed were to blame.

Once Nobuo had left the villagers turned to look at Inuyasha and Kagome, who were taken aback by the previous events and didn't know how to react. But when Inuyasha saw them turn in their direction he pulled Kagome more securely behind him. The old man who had told off Nobuo stepped forward.

"Please accept our humble apologies" he began. "As you heard Nobuo has caused a lot of trouble lately. We are sorry that we fell for his words. But he could be most convincing at times."

Kagome moved to step around Inuyasha but he blocked her. "I didn't tell you to move" he growled out at her before turning his attention to the villagers. "How do we know that this isn't some sort of trick? That you're not going to stick a knife in us the moment our backs our turned?"

The man inclined his head at Inuyasha. "You are right. We have given you no reason to trust us, quite the opposite in fact. For that I am sincerely sorry. Before Nobuo came we were a peaceful village and had been able coexist with several nearby youkai. But then he arrived and began to sow seeds of mistrust, poisoning us against our youkai neighbors until we were driven to kill them. We can never make amends for the crimes we have committed."

Inuyasha didn't know what to think. He had never been in a situation like this one. Sure, he had been attacked and driven out by villagers before but they had never turned around and apologized for their behavior. The whole thing made him suspicious.

Kagome poked Inuyasha in the back to get his attention. He glanced at her but kept most of his attention focused on the villagers in front of him. "Inuyasha I think he's telling the truth." He rolled his eyes at her. She could be too trusting at times. "Please Inuyasha? Everything is telling me that he's being honest."

He huffed. "Keh, fine wench." He crossed his arms but let her step around him.

Kagome gave the man a small smile. "Hello, I'm Kagome and this is Inuyasha."

The man gave a brief bow. "Greetings Kagome-san. I am Hisao, the headman of this village. Again, I apologize for the way we treated you."

She returned his bow. "Apologies accepted Hisao-sama."

"Please allow us to make it up to you. It is getting late in the day, we will provide you with food and lodgings for the night."

One of the other villagers spoke up. "But Hisao-sama. I understand why we should let them go but we can't let them stay here. She is still a youkai whore." He spoke low enough that Kagome didn't hear him but Inuyasha easily did and began to growl. 'How dare they call Kagome a whore!'

Hisao noted his reaction and hushed the man. "I believe that may be a misunderstanding. We can clear it up easily enough." He turned to face Kagome and asked "Kagome-san, what is your relationship with Inuyasha?"

Kagome was taken aback by his question. She didn't know why he wanted to know. But still she answered. "He's my friend. He protects me and has saved my life on a number of occasions. Why do you want to know?"

He waved off her question. The other villagers had relaxed at her answer and murmured something about an 'Inugami'. "It was just idle curiosity" he told her. "But please you are both welcome to stay the night in our village. It is the least we can do to make up for our prior actions." The other villagers began to depart now that all of the excitement was over. Several went and roused the men Inuyasha had knocked unconscious, helping them up and away from the area.

Kagome started to decline but the thought of a night in a real bed, or at least this time's equivalent, stopped her. She might even be able to get a real bath if they accepted.

Inuyasha interrupted her thoughts. "Oi. Don't tell me you're actually considering it?!"

She turned to face him. "Please Inuyasha? Don't tell me you wouldn't like a chance to sleep under a roof for a change."

He simply glared at her. He had no intention of staying in this village any longer than he had to, not after the previous events. But as he stared at the pleading expression on Kagome's face, he felt his resolve weakening. 'Why does she have to look at me like that?' He sighed. "Fine wench, whatever you want."

Her face lit up. "Thank you Inuyasha!"

"Keh." But he felt his insides warm at her smile.She turned to face Hisao. "Thank you for your offer Hisao-sama. We gratefully accept."

He gestured for them to follow him. "Come with me. You are welcome in my home this night. And perhaps you can tell me what brought you to our village." They began to follow him and explain that they were looking for information on the well in Edo.

* * *

Well this chapter turned out a lot longer than I expected. And both it and the following chapter went in a different direction than I had originally planned. Not too sure about how it turned out, I might have to go back and edit it later. Please let me know what you think. And don't think that Inuyasha and Kagome are out of the woods yet.

Don't forget to vote in the poll on my profile page.


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I meant to post it over the weekend but didn't like the way it came out and had to go back and rewrite a few sections. I will have the next chapter out as soon as I can.

For those of you who were wondering what an "Inugami" is. In an episode of the anime, not sure if its in the manga, they come across a village that is having trouble with some monkey youkai. I believe they translated it as Dog-god but if you watch it in the original Japanese they are calling Inuyasha an Inugami. In Japanese mythology an Inugami is a type of shikigami, similar to a familiar spirit, resembling, and usually originating from, a dog, and most commonly carrying out vengeance or acting as guardians or protectors on behalf of the Inugami-mochi, or "Inugami owner". Inugami are extremely powerful and capable of existing independently, as well as turning on their "owners" and even possessing humans. So in the previous chapter the villagers were assuming that Inuyasha was an Inugami after they heard Kagome refer to him as her protector.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she settled down on the futon Hisao-sama had provided. That bath had been wonderful. It had been ages since she had been able to relax in a hot bath. And one of the village women had provided soaps, so she had really been able to clean herself. She felt so clean and warm. And the futon was much softer than the ground she had been sleeping on recently. It was a nice change from the last couple of weeks. She started to lay down but paused, glancing at Inuyasha. After they had eaten and been shown to this room he had sat down with his back to wall, the sheathed Tessaiga propped against his shoulder. It didn't look like he had moved at all the whole time she was gone. "Inuyasha? Aren't you going to use the other futon?" She gestured to where it sat in the corner.

"Keh. I'm fine." He didn't tell her that he didn't plan on getting any sleep that night. It was too dangerous to sleep in a village like this. Who knew when the humans would change their minds and decide to attack them? That was why he hadn't wanted to spend the night but he had found himself unable to deny Kagome. He sighed.

Kagome heard him and wondered at his curt reply. She knew that he was upset about staying in the village and she began to regret forcing him to. She looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't want to stay here." She bit her lip before continuing. "If you want we can still leave. We don't have to stay." She fidgeted, refusing to meet his eyes.

He had turned to look at her when she first apologized. Now his eyes softened, though she didn't see it. 'She really is special. I know how hard it's been for her, that she's not used to sleeping outside. And the first real chance she's had in weeks to sleep inside, she's willing to give up to make me more comfortable. I can't do that to her.' He carefully set the Tessaiga down and moved to her side. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently pressed down until she got the idea and let her body lay down. "Go to sleep wench. Besides, at this point it's too late to look for a decent campsite." He gave her a brief smile to let her know that everything was alright and received a brilliant one from her in return before moving back to his previous position.

Kagome smiled again as she snuggled into her futon and quickly fell asleep. But her rest was not peaceful. She kept seeing the axe falling toward Inuyasha, over and over, and this time she wasn't able to stop it. She woke up with a gasp, tears in her eyes as she bit back the scream that tried to rip its way out of her throat. She felt strong arms grip her, pulling her to rest against a hard chest and she relaxed. "Shh wench. It was just a dream. You're safe."

Inuyasha had known she was having a nightmare for a while. She had been tossing and turning in her sleep, murmuring words too low for him to understand. He had been contemplating waking her up when she had jerked up, a look of horror on her face. He hadn't hesitated, moving to hold her and comfort her. He continued to hold and soothe her until he felt her relax. Then he pulled back and asked "Do you want to talk about it?"

Kagome clutched at his haori as she struggled to get her emotions under control. She was slightly embarrassed to find herself sitting in Inuyasha's lap but the horror from her nightmare overrode it. So rather than move away, she stayed there, drawing comfort from his embrace. As she finally gained control of herself she heard Inuyasha's question and tensed. She raised her head to look at him and threw her arms around him to reassure herself that he was alright.

Inuyasha was surprised at her actions. He was about to question her further when her voice stopped him.

"I dreamed about earlier. When the axe was falling. But in my dream I was too slow and wasn't able to stop-" she broke off as a shudder ran through her body.

Inuyasha felt an answering shudder run through his own body as her words brought back his own memories. "Shh. It's alright. That didn't happen." He continued to whisper soothing platitudes to her as he tried to rein in his own temper. His mind was flooded with the image of the axe descending and the fear he had felt when she threw herself over him.

But Kagome had felt his body tense. She pulled back to look at his face. "Inuyasha?"

And the fragile hold he had over his temper snapped. "You stupid Bitch!" He watched as she flinched back in shock at his outburst. He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, giving her a little shake before crushing her to his chest. "Why did you do something so stupid?! You could have been killed!"

Kagome had been shocked by his sudden outburst but as he continued to yell she quickly understood what the problem was. She hesitantly lifted a hand to cup his cheek, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "I'm alright Inuyasha. It's okay."

He growled at her. "No it's not! Why would you do something like that?!"

"What else could I have done?" she asked him. "They were going to kill you! I couldn't just sit there and watch. I had to stop it somehow. Anyway, it all turned out alright in the end, didn't it? The barrier protected us."

He scowled down at her and gave her another shake. "But you didn't know you could make a barrier before hand, did you?!" Her silence was his answer. "Damn it Bitch! If you hadn't gotten lucky, you would be dead right now!"

Kagome knew she had worried him with her actions but she was getting frustrated that he wasn't letting it go. Everything had worked out alright in the end after all. And he was really getting on her nerves the way he kept calling her a bitch. "I was not going to just sit there and watch them kill you, you baka!" She shoved at Inuyasha's chest to make her point and opened her mouth to continue when Inuyasha suddenly tightened his grip on her and pinned her to the floor.

"And how do you think I felt watching you throw yourself on top of me?! I couldn't move and all I could see was that axe falling toward you! How do you think I felt thinking that you were going to die?! And for something as foolish as that! They would have just killed me right after you anyway!" He growled again, all the pent up worry and fear and frustration showing on his face as he glared down at her. He didn't even realize what he was doing before he drove himself forward and captured her lips in a bruising kiss.

Kagome laid there in shock as he kissed her. This was nothing like their previous kisses. This was hard and full of passion as he poured all of his emotions into it. She quickly lost herself in the sensations as she responded to the kiss, pouring her own fears and worries into it. She fisted her hands in his haori and tugged, pulling him closer. Neither noticed when the shoji door slid open, or the startled gasp before it slid closed again. Both were lost in the kiss until they had to break apart, panting for breath.

Inuyasha didn't know what had come over him. But as he sat there staring at her while trying to catch his breath, he knew it was the right thing to do. He pulled her back against his chest, anger now spent. "Don't ever do that to me again. I don't know what I would do if I had to watch you die. I swore to protect you, remember? Promise me you won't do something that stupid again."

Kagome stared up at him. His golden eyes shone intensely with the depth of his emotion, so intense that she felt herself shiver unconsciously. She wanted to reassure him but she couldn't make that promise. She knew she would do it again if she had the chance to save his life. "Inuyasha-"

He saw the look on her face and growled. "Promise me Bitch! I don't want you throwing your life away for mine."

She opened her mouth to respond but whatever she was going to say was lost as the sound of many footsteps approaching intruded on them. Inuyasha leaped up with a curse, snatching up the Tessaiga and placing himself protectively in front of Kagome as the shoji door was flung open. A large group of armed men stood there. Inuyasha started to growl while Kagome moved closer to him. Things didn't look good. She saw Hisao move to the front of the group and called to him "Hisao-sama?"

He looked at her grimly. "Kagome-san, please move away from him."

She was shocked, especially when she saw the other men raise their weapons threateningly. "But why? I thought you said that we were welcome to spend the night here in peace. What is going on?"

"One of my servants heard yelling coming from this room and came to investigate. He looked inside and saw the youkai pinning you to the ground, forcing himself on you. Please move away from him and we will deal with him. You need not fear him any longer."

"What?" Kagome asked as her shock grew. She felt a little embarrassed that someone had seen her and Inuyasha in an intimate position but it was overwhelmed by the shock. They thought that Inuyasha had attacked her, forced himself on her? "But Inuyasha didn't force himself on me" she tried to explain, hoping to calm them down.

But she had obviously said the wrong thing. "She willingly?" "With a youkai" "Maybe Nobuo-sama was right after all" "Nothing but a youkai whore!" The group of men began to mutter among themselves.

Inuyasha continued to growl as he pulled Kagome closer to his body. He knew that staying here was a bad idea. He looked around the room for an escape route, he had a feeling they would have to make a break for it. He inwardly cursed himself for letting down his guard again.

Even Hisao reeled back in shock. "You would allow a youkai to defile your body? Willingly?!" He shook his head in disgust. "It is one thing to live in peace with a youkai. It is something entirely different and unnatural to bed one. It as an abomination and you are a traitor to your own kind to allow it. Perhaps Nobuo-sama was right after all. This unnaturalness must be cleansed." The men raised their weapons higher.

Inuyasha growled louder and drew the Tessaiga. "You won't touch her!" he snarled at them but paused when they made no move to attack.

Hisao shook his head. "You misunderstand me. As I stated before, our village has seen enough bloodshed. We were willing to let you stay for the night when it appeared that you were merely her protector, perhaps an Inugami. But her lover? No. That will not be tolerated in the village. You must leave immediately. We will give no aid to those who would go against the laws of nature."

Kagome simply stared at him in shock from her position behind Inuyasha. 'How can they such hateful things about me? What have I done to them?' And now they were being told to leave because she had kissed Inuyasha. "But why?" she asked, confusion written upon her face.

Hisao turned his back on her and the other men followed suit. "Such an abominable act will not be tolerated in this village. Leave now, peacefully, or we will have no choice but to run you out by force."

"Keh! Don't worry yourselves. We're leaving. Who would want to stay in a village with assholes like you anyway." Inuyasha glared at them as he sheathed the Tessaiga and grabbed Kagome's bag. He gently but firmly grasped the shell-shocked girl by the arm and led her to the shoji. He grunted with satisfaction as he slammed it open, knocking it off of it's frame. He started to exit, only to growl as he realized that there was a large group of armed villagers, including the men that he had knocked out earlier, waiting outside. He realized that word had already spread and he needed to get Kagome out of there fast.

As the villagers began to throw rocks and shout vile things like "Youkai whore, slut, traitor, tramp" Inuyasha pulled Kagome onto his back and leaped up, jumping from roof to roof to evade them. He headed quickly out of the village and toward the nearby forest. He was too fast for the humans and the only resistance he met was a lone sentry at the edge of the village. Inuyasha easily evaded his hastily fired arrow before knocking him out. He paused and swiped the man's quiver of arrows before continuing on his way. He figured that at least this way the trip into the village wasn't a complete waste if Kagome now had a useable weapon again.

He felt her shift on his back and tightened his grip on her legs as he leaped into the trees. He ran full out, determined to put as much distance between them and the village as possible. He finally stopped after a couple of hours of hard running and Kagome slid off his back as he caught his breath. He kept his gaze averted from her, not wanting to see the look he was sure would be on her face. 'Stupid idiot' he silently cursed himself. It was his fault that they had been run out of the village. 'Why did I kiss her?' But he couldn't deny that it had felt so right.

Kagome fidgeted slightly as she looked around. She didn't understand what had happened back at the village. 'How could they be so narrow minded?' she wondered still slightly in shock. Nobody had ever treated her like that before. She looked at Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye but he was standing with his back to her. She slumped slightly. She knew it was her fault, she was the one who had wanted to stay in the village. "Inuyasha?" She hesitantly reached out her hand and touched his shoulder, feeling even worse when she felt him tense at the contact.

Inuyasha tensed when he felt her hand touch his shoulder. 'Here it comes' he thought. He was sure she was going to blame him for what happened. He should have known better than to kiss her. He knew better than anyone how most humans thought of someone who would love someone of youkai blood. He slowly turned to face her but was dumbfounded by the look of sorrow and guilt on her face. 'Why is she guilty? Is it because she realizes now what it would mean to stay with me and now she wants to change her mind?' He quickly schooled his face so that it wouldn't give away the despair he was feeling at that thought.

Kagome felt even worse when he turned around. He had schooled his face into a blank mask so that she couldn't tell what he was feeling. Only his eyes showed his emotions, and there were too many to figure out what he was feeling. And the little moonlight that reached them through the trees wasn't enough for her to try to make sense of what she could see. "I'm sorry" she blurted out suddenly, unable to take his silent staring any longer. She foolishly feared he planned to leave her somewhere so he wouldn't have to put up with her foolishness any longer. She saw his eyes widen at her apology and she grabbed one of his hands, holding it between two of her own. "I'm sorry, I know it was my fault. You wanted to leave and I'm the one who insisted on staying in the village for the night. I shouldn't have argued you into staying. Please don't leave me."

Inuyasha's eyes widened further as he listened to her apologize. But he growled when she begged him not to leave. "Baka!" he said as he used her grip on his hand to pull her closer to him. "I've told you before, I won't leave you. I'll be with you for as long as you need me." He inhaled, breathing in her scent, allowing it to soothe him. "I'm the one who should apologize. Things would have been fine if I hadn't kissed you. That is what set them off. I should have known better." He sighed.

Kagome pulled back to stare at him. "But I insisted on staying in the village even though you wanted to leave." She gazed at his face, silently willing him to elaborate. Her heart lurched in her chest at the thought that he might regret the kiss they had shared.

He raked his free hand through his hair. "I understand why you wanted to stay in the village for the night. You're human and not used to living out doors like I am. I didn't like the idea but if I had thought it was really that dangerous I would have insisted that we leave and no amount of arguing would have convinced me otherwise. But things would have been fine if I hadn't kissed you. I'm the one that made the mistake, not you." He looked away, not wanting to see the look on her face when she finally realized it was his fault that she had been chased out of another village.

'Mistake?' Kagome's breath caught and her heart gave another painful lurch. "M-mistake?" She struggled to control herself, willing herself not to cry. "You think that kiss was a mistake? You regret it?"

His head snapped back around at the heart broken tone of voice. "Fuck no!" he exclaimed before he could stop himself, shocking even himself. But he continued when he saw the look of confusion on her face. "I don't regret the kiss itself, I can't. It felt right. But I should have known better than to do it in a human village. I shouldn't have let my guard down, I should have been paying attention to our surroundings. But more than that, I shouldn't have initiated that kiss where anyone could see us."

Kagome had felt better when she heard that he didn't regret the kiss after all. But his last sentence made her blood boil. "What do you mean you shouldn't kiss me where anyone can see?!" she burst out before she could stop herself. "You make it sound like I'm some dirty little secret, that you're ashamed to be seen with me!" She let out a yelp of surprise when he grabbed her by the shoulders to push her against a nearby tree. He towered over her, his body pressing close to hers and preventing her from moving away.

"You stupid Bitch! I'm not ashamed of you. How could you even think that?!" He glared down at her. "If anything, you should be ashamed to be with me. Look at how those humans in that village reacted. They thought I was forcing myself on you and when you admitted that you were a willing participant they turned on you! That is why I should have known better. I know how humans react to those they see as traitors to their own kind and should have remembered it." He growled in annoyance.

Kagome felt the anger drain out of her at his statement and her gaze softened as she gazed up at him. He looked so intense as he glared down at her and she became aware of how his body was pressed up against hers. She felt herself flush and her gaze dropped to his lips. Before she realized what she was doing, she had closed the distance between them to place a kiss of her own. She felt his mouth open in surprise, he hadn't been expecting it, and she took the initiative to deepen the kiss, slipping her tongue between his parted lips. She had barely tasted him before he jerked his head away to stare at her in shock.

Inuyasha didn't know what had happened. One moment he had been yelling at her and the next she was kissing him. He didn't mind that, he actually enjoyed the kiss. But he had felt something enter his mouth and that had shocked him into breaking the kiss. 'Was that her tongue?' he wondered as he gazed down at her.

Kagome blushed at his look and averted her gaze, biting her lip as she worried that she had gone too far. It had felt right to progress things but looking back on it now she worried that she had made a mistake. She was in the Sengoku Jidai, something like that must be unheard of here. She was shaken out of her thoughts when Inuyasha gently grasped her chin and tilted her face to look at him. She couldn't understand the emotion she saw in his eyes before he lowered his face to hers and claimed her lips with his own. His lips parted and she felt his tongue hesitantly touch her lips. She immediately parted them, then moaned when she felt his tongue slip inside.

Inuyasha had watched the various emotions flit across her face. When he had seen her bite her lip, he felt something inside him change and he had reached out to kiss her. She had responded like before, so he decided to repeat her earlier actions. As soon as his tongue had come in contact with her lips, she had parted them and now he lost himself in the feeling of her hot, wet mouth. He felt her tongue react to the presence of his, felt how it seemed to wrap around his own. A growl escaped his throat to be swallowed by Kagome's mouth as one hand wrapped around her body drawing it flush against his own, while the other clawed at the tree behind her. 'Is this heaven?' he absently wondered as he reveled in the taste of her as their tongues caressed and dueled each other in her mouth.

They parted after a few moments, panting to catch their breath. Inuyasha recovered first and fought to regain his self-control, resisting the urge to kiss her again. He stepped back from her and said "It's late. You should get some sleep. We'll have to travel hard tomorrow, this area isn't safe for us to linger in."

Kagome nodded as her hand absently rose to her swollen lips. She had seen the brief struggle in his face, and had felt it herself. Part of her wanted nothing more than to continue where they had left off, and that scared her. She began looking around for a place to build a fire and lay down for the night when she felt Inuyasha drape his haori over her. She looked at him in confusion. He normally only did that as she laid down for the night. In response he wrapped his arms around her and leaped high into a tree. Kagome squeaked and wrapped her arms around him in alarm. "Inuyasha?" she asked.

"Keh" he blushed and turned his head away as he settled them onto a branch. He sat with his back against the tree with her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from falling. "It's safer up here" he told her after a moment. "I don't know if any of those villagers are looking for us but most humans don't think to look up. And this way you don't need a campfire, which would easily give away our location."

She understood his reasoning. "Okay" she said as she arranged his haori as a blanket. She blushed as she tried to make herself comfortable but found herself quickly falling asleep snuggled up against his chest. Her last thoughts as she drifted off were of how warm and safe she felt in his arms and how she always wanted to feel that way.


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

Inuyasha was beginning to wonder if he had made a big mistake as Kagome again shifted in her sleep. It felt so right to hold her this way. 'Maybe a little too right' he thought as he did some shifting of his own, distinctly aware of his body's reaction to the girl sleeping pressed up against him. He froze when she turned onto her side and her hand came dangerously close to a sensitive area of his body. When she stopped moving, he grasped her hand and moved it away from where it rested on his thigh, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn't wake. He gazed down at the top of her head and sighed again.

"What am I gonna do with you bitch?" he said softly as his hand rose and began to stroke down her hair. He froze when she stirred but she only snuggled closer to him, arms coming up to wrap around his waist as she murmured his name. He tightened his own grip on her in response, before shifting her to cradle her in his arms. Allowing his chin to rest on top of her head, he breathed in her scent and resisted the urge to drift off to sleep. 'Gotta stay alert, already failed her too many times today.' He vowed to stay awake all night as thoughts of his earlier failures to detect danger flashed through his mind.

He sighed and reluctantly lifted his head from hers. He watched her face as a frown wrinkled her brow at the loss of contact before disappearing as he stroked her hair once more. "Sorry wench" he said softly, "but if I stay like that I won't be able to sense danger until it's too late." Not for the first time, he wondered what it was about her that drew his attention to the point that he was left unaware of dangers. 'What is it about her? I'm drawn to her, don't want to be separated from her. I thought I didn't need anyone, that I could make it on my own. But everything has changed since I met her. Why do I feel this way?' He sighed. 'It's gotten to the point that I focus on her so completely that I don't realize danger until it is nearly too late. Twice today I nearly failed her. It can't happen again.' He tightened his grip on her at the last thought, worried about what the consequences could be if he failed in his silent vow.

'But what happened in that village will only continue to happen if we continue to travel together. How can I protect her from something like that? The only way is if I were to stay away from her.' His heart clenched at the thought and he recalled what happened the last time he thought he was leaving her for her own good. 'Keh. Like that turned out well. It was a disaster.' He looked down at her peaceful face. "We're gonna have to have a long talk in the morning" he said softly. He sighed again and turned his head from her to watch over the forest below, alert for anything that might seek to harm the girl in his arms.

He managed to stay that way until the first rays of sunlight began to lighten the horizon. Glancing down at the girl nestled in his protective grasp, he couldn't prevent the small smile that crossed his face before he reached out and gently shook her awake. "Oi" he called softly. "Time to wake up."

Kagome frowned as she felt herself being shaken awake. That was the best sleep she had had in awhile, and she had been having a great dream, though the details eluded her. She reluctantly let herself be drawn back to reality as the person shaking her became more insistent. Her blue eyes cracked open to be met with amused golden ones and she sat up with a start. "Inuyasha" she said as she jerked up only to release a startled scream and grab at his kosode as she glanced down and saw how high up she was. Strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her up against a hard chest.

"Easy" he murmured to her. "Don't worry, I've got you."

Kagome felt the furious pounding of her heart began to settle in her chest as she got herself under control. She slowly relaxed her grip on his kosode and glanced up at him. "What?" she started to ask and then remembered the events of the previous evening. She stared up at his face and he stared back. For a moment she thought that he was going to kiss her but then a bird chirped nearby and the moment passed.

Inuyasha gathered her closer to his body before leaping down from their perch in the tree. Once back on the ground, he slowly released his grip on her. Both immediately missed the intimate contact. Inuyasha covered his disappointment by telling her "Wait here while I go hunt something to eat." At her nod he took off through the trees.

Kagome took the time to gain control of her emotions. She really thought he was going to kiss her again. She worried that they might be progressing too fast, she wasn't even sure of his feelings for her. She shook her head to clear it and started to gather wood for a fire then paused as she recalled Inuyasha's warning against one the night before. She bit her lip as she tried to decide what to do. In the end she decided it was worth the risk. "After all, he said he was going hunting, and we can't very well eat anything he catches raw." 'Or at least I can't' she thought as she glanced around the surroundings. She had a small fire going when Inuyasha returned with a few fish. He glanced at the fire but didn't say anything as he set the fish to cook over the flames.

As they ate the fish Kagome couldn't help but notice the glances that Inuyasha was sending her way. He looked serious and nervous. She felt a fluttering sensation in her stomach as she wondered at what could cause that expression on his face. Too nervous to really enjoy the food, she merely nibbled on the fish as she tried to figure out what was wrong.

Inuyasha immediately noticed that she wasn't eating. "Oi! Hurry up and eat, you're going to need your strength. We have to really move today, I don't want to stay in this area too long."

Kagome knew he had a point but his words gave her a hint of what might be the problem and her appetite vanished even further. 'Is he still upset about last night? Is he starting to blame me?' She couldn't help but wonder. She fidgeted before deciding to speak up. "Inuyasha? Is something wrong?"

He glanced at her and sighed. He knew they had to have this discussion and soon but part of him had wanted to put it off. "We need to talk."

Kagome froze at his words. Those words in that serious a tone were never good. She gulped before asking "T-talk? About what?"

Inuyasha turned his head away, unable to look at her as he brought up his thoughts from the night before. "About what happened last night and what it means for us. I thought about this last night and we need to make some decisions. What happened at that village is only going to continue to happen. Humans don't like it when other humans get involved with youkai. Most people that we come across will react the same way as those villagers did." He clenched his fists. "And youkai will be worse. Most look down on me for being a hanyou and having human blood. I've had to fight to survive for as long as I can remember. I don't want to think about what they would do to you if we keep going as we have been."

Kagome didn't like where this conversation seemed to be going. "W-what are you saying? That you don't want me around anymore?" Unbidden tears stung her eyes but she refused to allow them to fall.

"No!" His head shot up and he pinned her with a hard stare. "I'm not saying that I don't want you with me. But it will be dangerous. We have to discuss our options. It might be better if we did separate. I could bring you back to Kaede, you know she'd welcome you back." He ignored the way his chest ached at that thought.

"NO!" Kagome lunged forward to grasp his hands. "I don't want to go back, not without you! You said you would stay with me, remember? You promised! I told you before, as long as I have you with me I can handle things. Don't send me away!" She tried to hold them back but a few tears managed to slip down her face.

Inuyasha flattened his ears at the sight and scent of her tears. He drew her to rest against his chest. "Shh" he told her, trying to reassure her that he was still there.

Kagome looked up and saw the look on his face. He looked so sad, so miserable. 'He doesn't want to leave me any more than I want to leave him' she realized. "I want to stay with you" she resolutely told him before leaning up and kissing him.

Inuyasha savored the kiss and made it linger, as a decision crystallized in his mind. When they broke apart he looked at her for a few moments before speaking. "Alright, Kagome. I promised to stay with you and I meant it. I won't leave you." She beamed at him but instead of cheering him up it made him feel worse about what he was about to say next. "But if we are going to continue to travel together then things will have to change." At her look of confusion he steeled himself and continued. "We have to stop doing things like this, it isn't safe." He gestured at how close they were sitting to each other and how her arms were still loosely wrapped him.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't it be safe?"

He sighed as he realized that she still didn't get it. "You saw how those humans reacted and youkai will only be worse. We can't allow ourselves to continue as we have been. No more kissing, or hugging or anything like that. If we do that where humans can see then we'll just continue to face repeats of last night. And youkai will be able to smell our relationship and try to use it against us in a fight. It just isn't safe for us to be together."

Kagome stared at him in shock. Somehow this hurt even more than when she thought he was going to send her away. She thought over his words and knew where he was coming from but it didn't make the pain any less. She could tell from the pained expression on his face that he didn't like the idea any more than she did. She paused and considered it. Could she really deny her feelings for him, pretend that they didn't exist, act as though they were only friends and traveling companions? She shook her head. No, she couldn't.

Inuyasha watched as the emotions flitted across her face. He didn't like this any more than she did but it was necessary. He savored the feeling of holding her so close, knowing that it would be the last time he could allow it. He nearly missed it when her face became resolved as if she had come to a decision. "Alright" he heard her say and turned back to her with a confused look.

Kagome clenched her fists in her lap. "Alright" she repeated. "You said that we can't be together if we continue to travel together. So we won't."

He gaped at her. What was she saying? Did she decide to leave him after all?

She smiled at the expression on his face. "If we stop looking for information on the well and the Goshinboku then we don't need to visit any villages. So we don't have to worry about the reactions of any humans. And any youkai we come across that would try to harm us over it would probably come after us anyway. You for being a hanyou and me for being a human, especially one with spiritual powers. So it doesn't matter. We can still be together."

Inuyasha froze as he listened to her. Was she really saying what he thought she was? "But what about trying to find a way home for you?" he cautiously asked her. He couldn't ask her to stop looking for a way home.

Her smile became tinged with sadness. "We don't even know if there is a way home for me. But I do know that I care deeply for you. I can't pretend that I don't, nor do I want to. I would rather be with you than deny those feelings on the hope that I will find a way home that might not even exist."

He stared at her with wide, hopeful eyes. She was saying that she'd rather be with him than look for a way home. He almost couldn't believe it and wondered what he had done to deserve her. He reached out and grabbed her, crushing her against his chest before kissing her deeply, feeling her melt into the kiss.

Kagome felt herself relax as they kissed. Breaking apart for air, she snuggled a little closer to Inuyasha and gave him a brief hug. She was glad that all of that was resolved now. She felt a pang of sadness at the thought of never seeing her family again but knew that it was the right decision. Inuyasha's arm around her confirmed it. But she couldn't help but wonder what they should do now. A thought occurred to her and she leaned away from Inuyasha so she could look at his face. "Inuyasha" she spoke and continued when he turned his gaze to her. "Maybe we should head back to visit Kaede?"

Inuyasha stared at her. "What? I thought we just decided that we should avoid any human villages and now you want to go back to one?" He didn't understand, was she already changing her mind about staying with him?

Kagome was easily able to read his thoughts as she saw the look on his face. "No, nothing like that" she hastened to assure him. "I just thought that it would be nice to see Kaede-sama again. I would like to let her know that we are alright and that we have decided to stop looking for a way to get me home. Besides, we already know how the villagers there will react to us so we don't have to worry about that. And do you really think that Kaede-sama would allow them to do anything to us? If there are any problems we can just leave, head into the forest or something." She smiled at him even as her eyes pleaded with him to agree.

"Keh, fine" he huffed as he crossed his arms, hands in his sleeves. He still found himself unable to argue with her when she looked at him like that. "We'll head back to see the baba, but not until after you eat!" He growled and glared at her as he said the last part.

She giggled but quickly ate her now cold fish. Once done they cleaned up their camp and Inuyasha pulled her onto his back, setting off towards Edo.

* * *

Nearly a week later they found themselves only a day or two away from the village. Night had fallen and they were camped for the night. They had made good timing as they had avoided any human settlements and hadn't run into any youkai as they traveled. Kagome had found the journey enjoyable as she had ridden on Inuyasha's back for most of it and liked the closeness that it afforded. She had the feeling he enjoyed it as well because whenever she suggested that she could walk he would pull her onto his back anyway with a teasing comment about weak humans that she could tell he didn't mean.

Kagome sighed and looked up at the stars. There were so many and they were so bright. She knew she was lucky to see a sight like this, in her time the sky was too polluted or filled with electric lights to see a sky like this. She sighed again and adjusted the red and white clothing that she currently wore. Her other outfits were currently drying after being washed and so she was wearing the miko outfit that Kaede had given her. She flopped herself down so that she was lying on her back, giving herself a better view as a shooting star shot across the sky. "Isn't it beautiful?" she questioned her companion who had been dozing a few feet away.

When she received no answer she lifted her head and turned to face him. "Inuyasha?" she asked upon seeing his face. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. She got up and moved towards him only for him to suddenly flinch away. She stopped, hand out-stretched to him. "What's wrong?" she asked, her heart speeding up in her chest. 'Did I do something wrong?'

Inuyasha continued to stare at her. He had woken from a dream about the day he was sealed. He had spotted Kagome immediately upon awakening but seeing her in the miko clothing had brought back the memory of his dream. He shook his head to clear it before turning away and crossing his arms. "Nothing's wrong wench." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Oi, don't you think your clothes are dry yet?"

'My clothes?' she wondered as she stared at him before a realization came over her. "Does it bother you when I dress like this?" she asked gesturing at the miko garb.

"Keh, don't be ridiculous" he scoffed but he still didn't look at her.

Kagome moved closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'm not her" she told him softly. Biting her lip she asked "Does it bother you that I look like Kikyou? That I look like the woman who sealed you?"

"Baka" he told her with a roll of his eyes. "Would you just drop it already? I told you, nothing's wrong. Now get some sleep. I want to try and make it to the village before night fall."

Kagome would have continued the conversation but he jumped up into a tree. She sighed and got ready for sleep, missing his presence. But she paused before laying down. With a glance at his silent form in the tree, she grabbed one of her outfits and stepped behind a tree to change. Lying down she called out "Goodnight Inuyasha" and received a "Keh" in response. She quickly fell asleep.

Inuyasha stayed in his tree until her breathing and heart rate evened out and he was sure that she was asleep. Then he glanced around the clearing before leaping down to crouch next to her. He stared at her face for several long moments before sighing. Normally her resemblance to Kikyou, the miko who had sealed him, in effect 'killing' him, for fifty years, didn't bother him in the slightest. After all, he didn't know the miko, had only glimpsed her for a moment before he was sealed. But seeing Kagome dressed in miko clothing had bothered him. He had felt tense, despite knowing that Kagome wouldn't attack him. He hated seeing her dressed in those clothes. He had learned early not to trust any miko, that they would try to hurt him because of his youkai blood. Just like Kikyou had.

He sighed again. Kagome murmured in sleep and rolled towards him. He reached out and ran a hand through her hair, soothing her. He hadn't missed the fact that she had changed her clothing, trying to make him more comfortable. He was warmed by the gesture and felt guilty for his earlier aloofness. He sat there, wondering if he should apologize when his ears perked up.

He jerked up, body tense as he sniffed, alert for any sign of danger. He began to growl as the scent of blood reached him, as well as the smell of a graveyard, of dirt and bones. He crouched protectively over Kagome as a youkai raced across the sky above them. 'That blood' he thought, not yet noticing that Kagome had been awakened by his growls, 'why is it familiar. Like it belongs to someone I know.'

"Inuyasha, what is it?" Kagome asked quietly, fighting a blush at the way he was crouching over her. She had awakened to his growls and had seen something fly over them. But her attention was drawn immediately to the hanyou that was above her in such a compromising position.

Inuyasha glanced down at her, surprised to see her awake, and became aware of the way he was crouched over her. He leaped, his cheeks suspiciously red as he muttered "Keh!" and crossed his arms. He knew how it must have looked but he had merely been trying to protect her and the move had been instinctive. He watched her out of the corner of his eye and relaxed when she didn't seem to be angry with him.

She had sat up and was glancing at the sky. "What was it?" she asked before looking at him.

His eyes clouded over and his expression became serious as he told her "Trouble." Kagome didn't like the expression on his face but then he seemed to come to a decision. "Get some sleep, we're leaving at first light."

* * *

As Inuyasha had promised, they broke camp as the first of dawn's rays touched the sky. Inuyasha pulled her onto his back and raced full out in the direction of Edo and Kaede's village. Kagome couldn't help but be worried by his behavior but he remained silent to her questions and refused to stop or slow down. Finally, a few hours after midday she could take it no longer.

"Inuyasha, please!" She was to the point of begging. "We need to stop. I'm hungry and I need to take care of personal needs." She was also stiff from remaining in one position for too long, and wanted to stretch her legs.

He flicked his ears back at her. "We need to keep moving" he told her but he had heard the waver in her voice and knew she was almost at her limit. With a sigh he began to slow his pace in preparation for stopping.

Kagome noticed the change and was grateful. "But why? What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry all of a sudden?"

He came to a complete stop and let her slide off of his back, watching with some guilt as she winced and began to stretch, walking along the road they were standing beside. "That youkai last night. She smelled of human blood, as well as of a graveyard." He turned his head away. "I just have a bad feeling that we need to see the baba and fast."

She paused in her motions and looked worried. "You think something happened to Kaede-sama?"

"I don't know." He would have said more but his ears perked up as he caught the sound of an approaching horse. He quickly moved in front of Kagome as the horse came into view but relaxed upon spotting the rider. "Oi baba, what are you doing out here?" he called. But as she got closer he began to tense as the scent of blood reached him and he could see that she was heavily bandaged.

"Kaede-sama!" Kagome gasped upon seeing the old miko and how heavily bandaged she was.

"Inuyasha, Kagome-sama" Kaede acknowledged them as she brought her horse to a stop beside them. "I am glad to see that you are well, and am fortunate to have come across you." She sighed heavily. "I fear that I am in need of your help."

Inuyasha had a bad feeling as he exchanged a worried look with Kagome.

* * *

I think that you all know what is coming. Don't kill me, I promise to have the next chapter up as soon as I can. I don't want to ruin the story so you'll just have to wait to read what will happen. But you know that things will be different as so much has already been changed from canon.


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, thought some things will remain the same.

Originally I wasn't planning to write this. In this story Inuyasha had no relationship with Kikyou, so why would she need to be brought back? Also, Urasue brought her back to find the jewel shards, which also don't exist in this story. But then I had an idea and decided to write this anyway. If you want to know what happens, you'll have to keep reading.

* * *

Kagome continued to hover and fret over the old miko who sat next to her before the fire. After her declaration about needing their help, Inuyasha had led them to a clearing where they could talk and rest. With Kaede's horse grazing nearby, Kagome had started a fire while Inuyasha caught some fish from a nearby stream. Once she was done with the fire Kagome had turned her attention to Kaede, who had been silent since stating that she needed their help, and she began to fret over the old woman's injuries.

"Kaede-sama, what happened?" Kagome gestured at the bandages. "And why are you out here? You shouldn't be traveling in your condition. Those wounds look serious." Kagome knew that she sounded a bit hysterical but Kaede was one of the few people that she trusted in this time and she worried for her safety.

Inuyasha returned with the fish in time to hear Kagome's questions. He too wanted the answers to those questions. But seeing how Kagome was beginning to get worked up, he reached out and gripped her shoulder as he dropped to the ground next to her. "Hush wench. She can't answer if you don't let her get a word in edgewise." At her glare he dropped his hand from her shoulder in order to squeeze her hand. She sighed but he felt her relax and turned his attention to Kaede who had been watching there interaction with interest. "Well baba?" he asked.

Kaede continued to look between the two. "I see that some things have changed between the two of you" she said, glancing pointedly at their entwined hands. Kagome blushed and Inuyasha huffed but neither made any attempt to remove their hands. Kaede nodded slowly. "Do not worry. I believe it to be a good change." She sighed before looking toward the fire. "As for my injuries, yesterday a youkai who called herself Urasue attacked the village. I was hurt in the attempt to drive her off."

Both Kagome and Inuyasha tensed at her words. Kagome spoke up, fearing the worst. "What about the other villagers, are they alright?"

"Don't worry child. I was the most gravely injured. None were killed" Kaede assured her.

Inuyasha frowned. "You said attempt to drive her off. You didn't succeed?"

"No. We failed. She left when she had what she came for." Kaede sighed again. "She went straight for the shrine. She stole my sister's remains, the ashes from her bones." Kaede looked up from the fire to pin them with a serious gaze. "I must recover her remains but fear that I can not do it alone. It was surely by the grace of the Kami that I came across you. Will you help me?"

Kagome was touched by her plea. She also didn't like the idea of Kaede traveling alone to battle a youkai in her condition. But Inuyasha interrupted before she could agree to help the miko.

"Keh! Why should I care what happens to her remains? She sealed me to a tree for fifty years, I've got no reason to care if someone decided to steal her remains." He pulled his hand away from Kagome in order to cross his arms and tuck his hands into his sleeves.

Kagome turned to stare at him, shocked at his attitude. "Inuyasha?!"

Inuyasha felt himself wilt a bit at her tone of voice. But rather than take back his words he simply shifted away from them and muttered "Keh."

'Why is he acting like this?' Kagome wondered as she stared at his back. 'I know he has no love for Kikyou, that he is probably still angry for being sealed. But Kaede-sama needs our help. Why can't he see that? It's not to help Kikyou, but to help Kaede-sama who has been nothing but kind to us.' But she was interrupted by the old miko before she can voice her thoughts.

"You are right Inuyasha. You owe my sister nothing." Kaede sighed and struggled to rise. "If you will excuse me, I must be going. I can not allow my sister's remains to fall into the wrong hands. She was extremely powerful in life and I fear what evil could be done if her bones fell into the hands of evil. I fear I have a long way to go to complete my task." She stumbled and would have fallen if not for Kagome's quick actions.

"No Kaede-sama" Kagome said as she assisted the older woman. "You can't go alone." Biting her lip and glancing at Inuyasha's back she made her decision. "I'm coming with you."

At her words Inuyasha's ears perked up and he whirled around to glare at her. "Like hell you are!"

She glared right back at him. "Yes I am. I know you're angry at Kikyou for sealing you but she's dead. This isn't about her. It's about helping Kaede-sama who has been nothing but kind to us. If you don't want to help her, then fine. You can stay here. But I'm going. I'm not about to let Kaede-sama go off alone in her condition."

Inuyasha stared at her in shock as her words sunk in. 'She's going to leave me?' He knew it was his fault, that she was right, the old woman shouldn't be alone with how wounded she was. And she had treated him decently. His ears flattened to his head and he conceded defeat. "Fine, we'll help the baba." He was rewarded with a brilliant smile from Kagome.

"Thank you Inuyasha, Kagome-sama" Kaede said as she filed away her observations of their interaction for pondering another time. She headed for her horse. "Come, Urasue flew off in the direction of the mountain. If we hurry, we can reach it's base by nightfall." As she struggled to climb into the saddle, she felt strong hands grab her and set her in it. "Thank you Inuyasha."

"Keh, you're too slow baba" he said as an explanation before dragging Kagome onto his back. "Let's go already." And with that they set off in search of Urasue.

* * *

Kaede was right, they did manage to make it to the base of the mountain by nightfall. Inuyasha could still detect Urasue's lingering scent and confirmed that they were heading in the right direction. But looking at the dangerous climb, they decided to make camp at the mountain's base rather than attempt to climb it in the dark.

As Inuyasha left to hunt, Kagome helped Kaede settle and took the opportunity to change her bandages. She cringed at the wounds but noted that they were healing well.

Kaede let her work for a few moments before speaking. "So Kagome-sama. Things seem to have changed between you and Inuyasha. Would you satisfy an old woman's curiosity?"

Kagome blushed at her question and fiddled with the bandages in her hands as she thought about what to say. But Kaede-sama was another woman, perhaps she would have some advice? At least she didn't seem disgusted like those other villagers had. "Well, we have grown a bit closer as there have been no others around." She bit her lip before continuing, still not sure how much she should confide. "I...care for him, a lot." She blushed again.

Kaede merely nodded her head, understanding what was not being said. She decided to let the subject drop for the moment and allow"So tell me what has happened since you left on your quest. Have you found the answers you were looking for?"

Kagome was grateful for the change in subject and eagerly began to tell of their adventures. She did, however, make sure that she didn't mention anything about the new moon or Inuyasha being human for the night. It was not her secret to tell. Instead, she simply said that Inuyasha had been poisoned and it took some time for him to recover and defeat the spider-head.

Kaede was sad to learn that the old monk had been killed and replaced by a youkai. "He was a good man. Very knowledgeable." She sighed. "But what about at the other places I told you about. Did you have any luck in those locations?"

Kagome bit her lip and glanced at Inuyasha, who had returned while she was relating their battle with the Thunder Brothers. "Well, we only made it to one other location on your list. I am sorry to tell you that Daichi-sama has also passed away." She waited while Kaede-sama bowed her head to offer her respects for the dead man.

"So you had no luck there either. But why did you decide to come back rather than continue on your journey?" She accepted a piece of roasted rabbit from Inuyasha and began to eat while waiting for an answer.

Kagome fidgeted and picked at her own piece of rabbit while wondering what to say. But Inuyasha spoke before she had thought of an answer. "Keh! Bunch of fucking assholes is why we left" he said as he tore into his own rabbit.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded.

"What? It's the truth" he defended himself.

"You don't have to be so crude about it though."

"Keh."

She sighed and turned back to Kaede who was now extremely curious about their experience. "When we arrived looking for Daichi-sama we met another priest named Nobuo. He was nice at first until he turned around and discovered that Inuyasha was part youkai. Things went downhill from there." She reluctantly, with colorful interjections from Inuyasha, told about Inuyasha's temporary sealing, and their near death. Kaede was intrigued to learn that Kagome had been able to create a barrier and promised to help her learn to control the ability when Kagome confessed that she wasn't sure how she did it.

Kagome continued with the tale, telling of how the villagers confronted them but Inuyasha refused to fight, and how Hisao-sama had managed to convince them to stop. About how they turned on Nobuo and kicked him out of the village.

Kaede nodded thoughtfully as she considered what she had learned. She knew that there must be more to the story but was more curious about something else at the moment. "Why didn't you simply fight the villagers Inuyasha? I am sure that they would have been no match for you." She was surprised when the hanyou blushed lightly and glanced at Kagome.

"I didn't want to hurt them" he muttered.

"I see. So what happened next. It seems that things were going well at that point but your earlier reactions tell me that something else must have happened."

"You're right, something else did happen. We were invited to spend the night in Hisao-sama's home and I convinced Inuyasha to accept. But I woke up from a nightmare and somehow when Inuyasha was trying to" she blushed "comfort me, we got into another argument. We must have been loud because we unknowingly attracted the attention of one of Hisao-sama's servants who caught us in a compromising position when we were making up." Kaede's eye widened in shock at her words and she felt her blush deepen. "They thought that Inuyasha was..." she trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"Keh! They thought I was forcing myself on her, those bastards!" Inuyasha angrily tossed the remains of his rabbit into the fire. "Then, when Kagome denied it, they called her vile names and made us leave. I should have just beaten the crap out of them while I had the chance!" He huffed as he crossed his arms but calmed when he felt a slender hand reach out to grasp and squeeze his own.

Kagome gently smiled at him when he glanced at her before turning her attention back to Kaede. "Anyway, after we left that village we had a long discussion. We realized that things like that would only continue to happen as we traveled and asked questions. I decided that I would rather stay with Inuyasha than look for something that might not even exist." She gave Inuyasha's hand another squeeze.

Kaede thanked them for sharing their adventures with her. They had left her with much to think about. They realized how late it had become and settled in for the night, realizing that the next day would bring new challenges.

* * *

The next day they set out as soon as the sun had risen high enough to illuminate the trail up the mountain. As they got higher up the mountain they began to encounter what appeared to be clay statues.

Kagome commented on them. "I wonder who made these. Why would anyone build statues so far from any village?"

Kaede looked grim. "They carry the taint of dark magic. Be wary, I trust them not."

"Keh. They reek of dirt and bones, and carry Urasue's stench. I bet she's behind them." He swiped at one with his claws and it instantly crumbled. "Don't seem that dangerous to me."

"Be on your guard, Inuyasha. Who knows what kind of foul magic is behind there creation" Kaede cautioned him.

They continued on their way, coming to a rickety old bridge high above a canyon. Kagome gulped as she saw how far above the ground they were. But Inuyasha didn't hesitate and immediately began to cross the bridge. After a few steps, he paused and asked "Well? Aren't you coming? You're the ones who were in such a hurry to retrieve those remains." Kagome gathered her courage and stepped out onto the bridge, Kaede right behind her.

They managed to get about halfway across the bridge before Kagome froze, unable to continue. The wind was extremely fierce and it caused the bridge to sway back and forth. "I can't do it" Kagome exclaimed as she held onto the rope railing with shaking hands.

Inuyasha turned back to face her. "What is your problem?" he asked, annoyed. He didn't even want to be here in the first place.

"I'm sorry but I can't." Another gust of wind rocked the bridge and she cried out in alarm.

"Keh, fine. I'll carry you." He rolled his eyes at her fear as he started to walk back towards her. But he spotted her eyes widening in shock as they focused on something behind him and he whirled back around with his hand on the Tessaiga. He spotted several more of the clay statues standing on the bridge a few feet away. "What? Where the hell did those come from?"

There was a cracking sound, and then the excess clay broke away to reveal armed soldiers. He cracked his knuckles, eager for a fight when Kaede spoke up with a warning. "There are more closing in from behind us."

"Keh, they stink of dirt and bones. They're no match for me." He ran forward, slashing with his claws. "Sankon Tessou!" The soldiers broke apart, pieces of dirt and clay falling to the ground far below. "They're made of dirt, not real men at all." Behind him Kaede fired arrows at the ones attacking from the other side while Kagome held on to the rope railing as the bridge swayed dangerously.

Inuyasha prepared to clear the way across, reaching for the Tessaiga when he noticed movement from above. As he shifted his focus, spotting Urasue coming at him with a wicked looking scythe, the clay soldiers took advantage of his distraction to latch onto him, dragging him down.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, moving to go to his aid. But Urasue took that opportunity to slash with her weapon at the bridge right in front of him. Kagome held onto the rope, one arm out-stretched to Inuyasha, trying to reach him as he tumbled down to the ground far below. "INUYASHA!" She felt the rest of the bridge begin to give way, feeling herself fall before a hand grabbed the back of her shirt and she found herself going higher. She glanced at the one holding her and screamed. She was old and hideous looking, with a deranged look upon her face. Kagome turned her attention back to the bridge just in time to see Kaede also fall. "NOOO! Kaede-sama! Inuyasha!"

"KAGOME!" She heard Inuyasha call as he passed out of sight and she felt her heart sink.

The creature holding her, Urasue, cackled madly. "Don't worry about your friends. It is far too late for them. Their fate is sealed, as is yours! Hahaha!" She carried Kagome away, higher up the mountain to her cave.

Upon reaching her lair, she tied the hands of a struggling Kagome and placed her in stone tub and began to pour some type of herbal mixture into it. Kagome gagged at the stench of it. "Let me go!" she cried as she struggled to move. "Why are you doing this?" The herbs were making her dizzy.

"Hush now. It will all be over soon" Urasue said before turning to face a doorway. "Come here Kikyou." She turned her attention back to a confused Kagome. "My best work yet" she boasted.

Kagome stared in shock at the person who emerged. Dressed in the traditional clothing of a miko, her own face stared back at her. "What?" Kagome gasped. 'Kikyou? That is what Urasue called her but how? She's been dead for fifty years.'

Urasue cackled again. "Yes, Kikyou, the legendary miko who guarded the Shikon no Tama, returned to the flesh. My finest work yet, or she will be once she has the one piece that is missing." Kikyou, if that was really her, merely stood there blankly.

Kagome had a really bad feeling as she saw the predatory gleam in Urasue's eyes. And she feared for Inuyasha and Kaede. 'No they have to be alright. Inuyasha can't be dead. I would know if something had happened to him, wouldn't I?' She pushed those thoughts away to focus on her own predicament. "M-missing?" she asked.

"Yes, I was able to return Kikyou to the flesh but only the flesh, I am sad to say." Gesturing at the silent miko she continued. "As you can see she is not all here at the moment. But not to worry. That potion you bathe in will draw the soul from your body" gesturing at Kagome and then Kikyou "and if you are truly Kikyou's reincarnation as I believe, then the soul will return to it's proper shell." Urasue patted Kikyou's shoulder once before cackling again.

Kagome felt a shiver run down her spine as she stared with horror into the blank eyes of the resurrected miko. 'Inuyasha please be okay' she prayed. 'Because I don't think I will be.'

* * *

Alright I know it's a bit short and I'm sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger. But I felt it was the best place to stop or this chapter will be too long. I'm going to try to get the next chapter up by tomorrow, I promise. Also, about Kikyou's appearance. I know in the anime that she and Kagome didn't really look that much alike, to be honest I thought she resembled Sango more than she did Kagome. But if you have read the manga then you can see that they really do look a lot alike, and that is where I am taking her appearance from. I know that a lot of you are wondering about where I am going by bringing Kikyou back. You will find that out in the next chapter, as well as exactly why Urasue brought her back in the first place. Please let me know what you think.


	25. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, thought some things will remain the same.

So a lot of people weren't happy that I brought Kikyou into the story. Hopefully you'll be happier with this chapter. I hope it answers everyone's questions.

* * *

_Previously_

"_Yes, I was able to return Kikyou to the flesh but only the flesh, I am sad to say." Gesturing at the silent miko she continued. "As you can see she is not all here at the moment. But not to worry. That potion you bathe in will draw the soul from your body" gesturing at Kagome and then Kikyou "and if you are truly Kikyou's reincarnation as I believe, then the soul will return to it's proper shell." Urasue patted Kikyou's shoulder once before cackling again._

_Kagome felt a shiver run down her spine as she stared with horror into the blank eyes of the resurrected miko. 'Inuyasha please be okay' she prayed. 'Because I don't think I will be.'_

* * *

"Why are you doing this?" Kagome asked. She felt weak, the potion was having some effect on her but she refused to give up. "Why bring Kikyou back?"

"For power, why else?" Urasue gave her a look that suggested it should be obvious. "Fifty years ago, shortly after her death the Shikon no Tama disappeared. Some have claimed that it was destroyed, burned with her body. Lies I say. Something as powerful as the Shikon no Tama could not have been so easily destroyed. It must have been hidden. But no matter how hard I looked I could find no trace of it's power. Then a few weeks ago I felt it. The power of the Shikon no Tama. It had been revealed. Another came to me for help but I sent him away. Why should I help him claim the jewel for himself when I could have it? But after another outburst of it's power, it again disappeared." Her face twisted with rage. "I will make those who have hidden it pay. The jewel and it's power will belong to me and no one else!" She vowed before turning her gaze almost lovingly on Kikyou. "And my creation will help me. Once I have fully restored Kikyou, I will use her connection to the jewel as it's guardian to find it. It will be mine once and for all."

Kagome could only stare at her. "But the jewel is gone forever. It's been purified!"

"Lies! I'll not listen to your foolish attempt to trick me. That fool Naraku thought he could trick me into doing his dirty work but I saw through his treachery just as I see through your lies. The Shikon no Tama will be mine!" Urasue poured more of the potion into the tub. "Now just relax and let the potion do it's work. Soon your soul will rise from it's prison of mortal flesh to where it truly belongs. Hahaha!"

Kagome was sick to her stomach from Urasue's words as well as the fumes from the potion. She found herself paralyzed, unable to move and all she could think was 'Inuyasha'.

* * *

Inuyasha grunted from his position on the cliff wall. "You alright baba?" he asked the old woman clinging to his back. After the bridge had collapsed he had quickly freed himself from the clay soldiers holding him. He had managed to grab part of the bridge as it swung down to the cliff wall, halting his descent. He would have immediately gone after Urasue and Kagome but before he could he had spotted Kaede also fall and had leaped after her, saving her from a nasty death. Now he carried her on his back as he climbed back up the mountain in leaps and bounds, moving as fast as he could. He didn't know what Urasue wanted with Kagome but he knew he wouldn't like the consequences. He had a feeling that she was in serious danger. Though he couldn't help but think that he preferred to carry Kagome on his back, she fit much better.

"I am fine Inuyasha. But we must hurry. I fear that Kagome might not have much time."

Her words nearly caused him to falter. "W-what? What do you know? Why did she grab Kagome?" He increased his pace further at the confirmation that Kagome was in trouble.

Kaede sighed. "You remember that I told you I believed Kagome to be the reincarnation of my sister Kikyou. This youkai, Urasue, has stolen her remains. I know not what she plans, only that it is likely the darkest of magics. But if she realizes that Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyou, I fear what she may do. She plans to use dark magic on my sister's bones, what magic would she do if she had access to her soul?"

Inuyasha increased his speed again. They were now out of the canyon the bridge had been above and he raced along the trail further up the mountain. 'Hold on Kagome. I'm coming' he thought.

* * *

'I've got to get out of this somehow' Kagome thought frantically. Her chest hurt, like something was being pulled out of her. She panted for breath.

"Not long now. Soon you'll be whole again Kikyou. Then you will lead me to the jewel." Urasue patted the unresponsive Kikyou on the shoulder.

"The jewel is gone! I was there when it was purified. You're making a big mistake!" Kagome gasped.

Urasue turned to her, eyes flashing with rage. "Lies!" She stared at the defiant girl, wondering how she was still able to speak. She saw the light in the girl's chest, saw how the soul struggled to free itself. 'This girl is different, all of my other victims would have fallen by this point but still she struggles.' "I've heard enough out of you! Just give in, stop fighting the potion and release Kikyou's soul!" She placed her hand on Kagome's head and pushed down, fully submerging her in the tub.

Kagome felt herself become fully submerged and panicked. As she felt the potion seep into her mouth she thought 'No!' She felt something surge through her, then the hand holding her down was gone and she found she could breathe again. Coughing she opened her eyes to see a pink barrier surrounding the tub.

Urasue yanked her hand back as it started to burn. "A barrier?!" She stared in shock at the glowing pink dome. Her eyes widened as she saw the girl's soul and how the barrier was anchoring it to her body. "It holds her...it holds her soul in that prison of flesh!"

Kagome gasped as the pain in her body increased. She felt as if two forces were battling over her soul, one to remove it from her body and the other to keep it there. She didn't know if she could survive the struggle, it felt like she was being torn in two. Then, she sensed something else. 'Inuyasha! He's alive.' She felt a tremendous relief at that realization. 'Inuyasha, please hurry.'

Urasue continued to stare in shock at the barrier. "It grows! How can this girl's soul form a thing so huge?! Why does her soul refuse to leave this body?"

"KAGOME!"

Urasue turned and spotted the hanyou racing toward them, sword drawn. "You survived the fall?!"

Inuyasha ignored her words as he raced towards the pink barrier that he could feel was made of Kagome's energy. 'She has to be alright if she can still form a barrier' he thought with some relief. Movement caught his attention and he focused on it. "K-Kagome?" he said as he stared in shock. Wasn't she behind the barrier? 'Why is she wearing miko clothing?' But she merely stared blankly at him and he became aware of the smell of dirt and bones emanating from her body. "You're not Kagome!" He heard Kaede's gasp as she approached from behind.

"Kikyou-oneesan!" she said as she stared at the figure in front of her. At her words the figure wearing her sister's face turned to look at her. There was a rush as the energy around the barrier faded and Kagome gave a pained scream before falling silent. Kaede cursed herself for her words as she watched the orb of light leave Kagome's body before shooting to the body made of dirt and clay.

"W-what? Kagome!" Inuyasha ran to her still form but she was unresponsive. He shook her calling her name but she remained still. His heart skipped a beat, she couldn't be dead. But no, she was still breathing and he could still hear her heart beat, faint as it was, at least.

"It is no use hanyou. Her soul is gone. She is a lifeless shell now, perhaps I'll turn her into my dinner later. Hahaha."

He turned to glare at her, a growl ripping it's way out of his throat. "You! You're the one responsible. Bring her back."

"Too late. Her soul is back in it's proper form now" Urasue said as she gestured to Kikyou who was gazing down at her body in shock.

"Urasue, you used my sister's bones to create this abomination" Kaede stated in disgust.

"Yes, and thank you for your help. Hearing you speak her name caused her to reclaim her soul from that prison of flesh. She is my finest creation. I have given her life from those bones and she will obey my every command." She laughed again as Kikyou stood and slowly began to approach her. "Kikyou will do my bidding in locating the Shikon no Tama. But first, Kikyou show your restored powers in ridding me of these annoying-"

She was cut off as Kikyou placed her hands on her shoulders, blasting her with spiritual power and blowing her body apart. As Urasue fell she spoke her last words. "No, not me!"

Kikyou spoke for the first time. "Yes, you. You who dragged me back from a death I had no desire to ever leave." She lifted her face allowing the others to see the pained expression.

"Kikyou-oneesan" Kaede spoke up sadly.

"Only one person has ever called me that." Kikyou turned to face her. "Little Kaede?" she questioned. At her nod she spoke again. "You are all grown now. Has so much time really passed since my death?" She clenched her hands. "Why bring me back? I was finally at peace. Did you not torment me enough with your betrayal?"

"My betrayal? What are you talking about?" Kaede was truly confused.

Kikyou glared at her. "You attempted to steal the Shikon no Tama and killed me for it. Or don't you remember how you came to me saying that you would make a better protector? How it was my fault that you had lost your eye?"

"No Kikyou-oneesan! It was not I. It was a creature called Naraku who killed you."

"Keh! I don't care about any of that" Inuyasha said from where he knelt next to Kagome. He turned to glare at Kikyou, one hand going to the Tessaiga. "But you're going to give Kagome back her soul!"

Kikyou turned to face him, recognition apparent on her features. "The hanyou that I sealed to the Goshinboku? How is it that you are free?"

"Keh! That's right, I still owe for sealing me to that damn tree for fifty years." He lunged at her but she blasted him with her powers.

"No Kikyou-oneesan! Stop this! Inuyasha is a good person" Kaede tried to interfere when Kikyou made no sign of letting up on the attack.

"You seek to betray me again Kaede?" Kikyou said as she turned to face her sister. "You would defend a monster. What dark magic did you use to release him from my seal when only I should have been able to? Even back then you pleaded with me to free him. Are you happy with your little lapdog?" She sneered, causing Inuyasha to growl at the insinuation.

"Inuyasha is not a monster and I do not command him. He is, however, a friend" Kaede defended him.

"He is of youkai blood. That makes him evil. All youkai are evil and must be destroyed." Kikyou glared at Kaede. "You wear the garb of a miko but would ignore that fact. You are a disgrace. I did not want this life back but I will gladly use it to rid the world of such monsters."

Inuyasha took the opportunity to again lunge at her, swiping his claws down her arm. "Give Kagome back her soul!" he demanded. He was surprised to find dirt instead of blood coating his claws. He made to attack again but hesitated with his claws raised when she turned to face him. 'Damn, I can't do it' he thought as he stared at her face. 'She looks too much like Kagome, I can't strike her down.' He paid for his hesitation with another blast of spiritual energy.

Kaede dove in front of her, trying to stop the confrontation before it was too late. But Kikyou shoved her away. "You are a traitor Kaede. You do not deserve to wear that clothing or carry that weapon." She grabbed the bow and arrows from her as she lay panting on the ground, unable to move due to her reopened wounds.

Kikyou turned to face Inuyasha who was struggling to get up again. She drew back an arrow, aiming it at his heart. "And now I will correct the mistake I made previously. I should have killed you instead of sealing you." She let the arrow fly.

Inuyasha saw the arrow coming towards him but was unable to move in time. He grasped the Tessaiga, hoping to block it with the sword. It worked for a moment but as soon as the arrow touched the fang it reverted to a rusty old sword and the arrow kept on it's way. "No!" he said as the arrow began to burn through his haori. "I'm sorry Kagome" he whispered as he felt the arrow's tip reach his chest.

As he said her name the girl's unseeing eyes flew open. "N'yasha" She gasped and a bright light surrounded her body as the arrow also glowed and disappeared from in front of Inuyasha.

Kikyou gasped as she felt her newly retrieved soul struggling to leave her body. She dropped the bow, hands clutching her chest as she cried "No it is my soul. You can't have it." Despite her words, a large light flew from her clay body to slam into Kagome's.

Kagome sat up with a gasp, eyes immediately searching for Inuyasha. "Inuyasha" she called weakly upon spotting him, her hand reaching for him.

"Kagome!" he called, taking a step in her direction.

But she gasped again as she felt her soul again attempting to leave her body. "Aah!" she cried. Inuyasha was immediately at her side, cradling her against his chest as he tried to discover the source of her pain. He noticed the soul trying to rise out of her chest and glanced back at Kikyou.

All eyes turned to face Kikyou who was bent double making pulling motions as if trying to physically drag the soul back to herself. "It was my soul first. It belongs to me, not you" she panted.

"No Kikyou-oneesan. It is Kagome's soul, not yours. You never should have been brought back." Kaede sighed. "Release it and return to your rest."

Kikyou turned wild eyes upon her. "Never! Not until every youkai is dead and gone. I will destroy them all!"

Kaede sighed again. "It is no use. Madness has taken her. She is driven by anger and hate." Kaede clapped her hands together and made a short prayer. "Goodbye my sister." She attempted to strike at her but was easily driven aside. Hitting the ground with a moan, she called to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, you must destroy that clay body. It is a sham, brought to life by Urasue's foul magic. Please release my sister's soul from this mockery. It is the only way to fully restore Kagome."

Inuyasha growled as he set Kagome back down on the ground. He pulled the Tessaiga from it's sheath. "Keh. With pleasure." He ran at Kikyou who attempted to retreat. "This is for sealing me to that tree!" He said as he swung the Tessaiga. He hesitated again as he saw her face but then he focused on Kagome who he could sense behind him. "This is for Kagome!" he yelled and smashed the false body apart. As the remains of dirt and bone fell to the ground a smaller light left them and the rest of Kagome's soul was returned to her. Inuyasha was quickly back at her side, checking her over for injuries. He relaxed as he found none and was relieved when she allowed the touch. Part of him had worried that some part of Kikyou might have transferred her hatred to her.

Kagome sat up as much as she could in Inuyasha's embrace. "I'm fine Inuyasha but you're hurt" she said as she looked at where the arrow had started to enter his chest.

"Keh, I'm fine, it's just a scratch and will heal. I'm not the one who had my soul ripped out of my body." He made no move to release her as he breathed in her scent and reassured himself that she was alive and well. His heart had stopped when he realized that she wasn't moving and he had thought he had lost her.

A shuffling noise drew their attention and they turned to see Kaede kneeling next to Kikyou's remains. Kagome gasped "Kaede-sama" and pushed herself out of Inuyasha's embrace. "Your wounds have reopened, you shouldn't be moving so much." She sat the older miko down and began to treat her wounds.

"Thank you Kagome-sama but I must retrieve my sister's remains. They must be purified and returned to their resting place." She again attempted to rise but Kagome pushed her back down before gently gathering the remains, wrapping them in a cloth blanket and then handing them to her. "Thank you" Kaede told her with sincerity before turning to face Inuyasha who stood nearby. "And thank you Inuyasha for returning my sister to her final rest."

"Keh."

"Kaede-sama, why did she think that you had betrayed her?" Kagome asked, genuinely confused. She had not been fully conscious but she was aware of what had happened. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned around, also curious.

Kaede sighed. "My sister was alone when she was attacked. In the years since her death I have managed to piece together what I believe happened that day in the meadow. I knew that she had been attacked by a youkai, I later learned from a traveling Buddhist monk that the creature was named Naraku. He came upon her when she was alone. I have always believed that he must have disguised himself in some way in order to get so close to her." She sighed again. "I know now that he must have used my form, the monk had also told me that he was able to shape-shift. But at the last moment, Kikyou must have sensed something of his true nature because she unleashed her purifying powers, gravely injuring him and chasing him away. It also alerted the village that something was wrong. When we reached her, she was lying in a pool of her own blood, the Shikon no Tama clutched tightly in her hand. She instructed the village headman to burn the Shikon no Tama with her body." Kaede closed her eye in pain. "I remember that she would not look at me. I thought at the time that it was because she felt guilty about leaving me on my own. But now I know it is because she felt that I had betrayed her and played some part in her death."

Kagome tried to comfort her. "I'm sure that's not it. If she realized that Naraku was a youkai and not you, then she knew that it wasn't you who attacked her."

"Thank you for your kind words."

"Keh. Are you sure that Kagome's really her reincarnation? They seem way too different to me" Inuyasha interjected. Kagome was also curious, how could someone so full of rage and hate have shared the same soul as her?

"Yes. Today's events prove it. But you must understand, Kikyou-oneesan was trained from an early age that youkai are dangerous and evil. She spent her life trying to help others. That person earlier was not truly my sister. She was too full of betrayal and rage over being torn from her peaceful rest. As for Kagome-sama, her soul has had nearly five hundred years to mature and find peace before being reborn."

With that settled they quickly departed the area as night was fast approaching and none of them wanted to remain any longer than necessary. They began their journey back to the village now that their mission was complete.

* * *

So what did you think? Are you guys happy now? As I stated before, I didn't originally plan to bring Urasue or Kikyou into the story but then I thought I could have Naraku trying to trick her into bringing Kikyou back to find the jewel, not knowing that it was gone. That didn't quite work out, and was only briefly mentioned, I will elaborate why later on in the story once Naraku shows up. But then I realized that if Naraku didn't use Inuyasha's form to get close to Kikyou then how did he attack her and I thought what if he used the form of her younger sister? That led to this chapter. I never planned to keep Kikyou past this chapter, there was no need as she and Inuyasha never had a relationship. But did anyone catch the reference to the Buddhist monk? Three guesses who that was.

But on a separate note. I am going on a vacation next week. I'll try to update as I can but don't know how much time I'll actually have to write. So don't be surprised if I don't post that often.


	26. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, thought some things will remain the same.

Well most of you easily guessed who the monk was. It was Miroku's grandfather, though I can see how you could think it would be his father. More will be mentioned later, when Miroku finally enters the story. Thanks to everyone who wished me a good vacation, I'm having a great time catching up with relatives and friends I haven't seen in a while. Also managed to catch up on my reading. If you're looking for good Inuyasha fanfiction I definitely recommend anything by SplendentGoddess on MediaMiner. org.

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Inuyasha sat in the branches of the Goshinboku as he contemplated the events of the last month and a half. The time away from the village had indeed allowed tempers to cool as the villagers appeared to be more welcoming of them. But that might have more to do with what had happened since they returned.

They had returned to Kaede's village a few days after recovering Kikyou's remains. They were just in time for Inuyasha to defeat a youkai that was attacking the fields. Inuyasha had easily dispatched it with the Tessaiga. The villagers had been wary but thankful for his aid. And then they had learned that he had helped Kaede recover the stolen remains of Kikyou, who was still honored and loved by the villages fifty years after her death. The villagers warmed up to them immediately. This time there had been no complaints about allowing him to remain in the village.

Inuyasha was unused to being so accepted in a human village, it had never before happened. It put him on edge and he was unsure of how to act, so he had kept his distance at first. Remembering what had happened in the other village, he had attempted to keep his distance and not touch Kagome as often as he was used to. But that resolve did not last as she would come up to him and grab his hand or hug him, or any other minor contact that he was sure would set the villagers off. But though there were some raised eyebrows and a furtive whisper or two, the villagers seemed to take it in stride. When he saw that the villagers were not going to turn on them for the contact he began to relax.

He reflected that part of their acceptance might also be because he helped ease their workload. As he had relaxed, he had begun to pitch in by doing things like making sure Kaede had enough firewood. He was able to bring down a tree and slice it into pieces in a fraction of the time it took the village men, and often had far more than Kaede needed. So he had taken to dumping the excess where the rest of the village could easily access it. Several villagers, such as the widows or the elderly, who could not easily gather their own had thanked him for his actions. The first time it happened he had been taken aback, not knowing what to say and had spent a few hours up a tree pondering it. But as it continued he had felt a kind of peace settle over him. He began to help out more around the village, things like heavy lifting were easy for him to do and he found he was being accepted further. It created an oddly warm feeling inside, knowing that for the first time in his life he was tolerated, maybe even accepted.

But the best part of the situation was Kagome. She had renewed her training with Kaede and often helped her with tasks throughout the village. Her kind and gentle personality had quickly warmed the villagers' attitudes. When he crossed paths with her during the day, she would bestow upon him a brilliant smile as she saw him helping others. He could tell that it made her happy when he helped others and he could admit to himself that he liked the feeling it caused inside as well.

But they continued to stay with Kaede in her hut at night. He would sit up against the wall of the hut, Tessaiga propped against his shoulder, while Kagome would lay on a futon, her head resting a few inches from his leg. Their relationship had not progressed any further as Inuyasha was unsure of how the villagers would react. He liked the feeling of acceptance he had gained and was wary of losing it.

He sighed as he attempted to turn his thoughts to other matters. There had been a few youkai attacks in the last few weeks, though Inuyasha had easily been able to defeat them. It was another thing that led to his acceptance by the villagers. Though, one or two of them had made some grumbles about it possibly being his fault. He had taken to running through the forest at least once a day to make sure that there weren't any dangerous youkai around that would attack the village. It also had the benefit of giving him time to himself away from the village as he would still occasionally become uncomfortable around so many people.

He smirked as he recalled the last new moon. Kagome had even used it as an excuse for their disappearance.

_Flashback_

_Inuyasha grumbled as he watched the sun cross the sky. In a short time, it would set completely. Already he could feel his powers beginning to wane. He had been irritable all day. 'Can't believe I lost track of time' he thought as he cursed himself for not realizing that the night of the new moon was approaching. He wasn't sure what he should do, he didn't want the whole village to know his secret but he couldn't just take off and leave Kagome alone, could he? He had been trying to decide what to do all day and was still no closer to an answer. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even realize that Kagome had approached him until she spoke._

"_Alright Inuyasha. Let's go."_

_He turned to face her and was surprised to see that she had her bag with her in addition to her bow and arrows. "What?" he asked her._

_She smiled at him. "Come on. The sun will set in an hour or less and we should be gone before then." At his wide eyes her smile grew. "I do remember what tonight is. I figured that you don't want anyone else to know so let's go."_

_He was touched by her concern for him. Then a thought occurred to him. "Oi. How are you going to explain our leaving?" He worried that the villagers would be able to tell, somehow._

"_Simple. I told Kaede-sama that you were feeling restless, not used to being cooped up in a village for so long. So we are going to camp out in the forest for a few days. It was real easy to convince her with how irritable you've been today. I think the villagers will be relieved to have a break from your temper for a few days" she teased him lightly as she smiled to show that she was just joking._

"_Keh." He folded his arms. "So where do you plan to go?"_

"_There's a cave near the hot springs. I already checked it out when I bathed there the other day. It should be safe enough and is easily defensible. Plus, we're close enough to the village if anything happens."_

"_Keh. You just want another bath" he teased her before allowing her to climb onto his back and heading for the cave she indicated. They made it with time to spare and settled in for the night._

_End flashback_

He had been touched when she insisted on staying awake all night with him. Once the sun had risen and his youkai blood returned, she had smiled at him before promptly falling asleep. It had been the best new moon he had ever experienced. They had stayed there for the rest of the day, and he had teased her when she had gone and taken a bath after all, returning to the village the next day. He had heard the villagers remark about how his mood had seemed to improve, hence his daily runs through the forest. He hated to admit it, but he was almost looking forward to the upcoming new moon for the chance to again be alone with Kagome.

Shaking his head to clear it, he leaped out of the Goshinboku and began to head back to the village. It was nearly time for the midday meal and he didn't want to miss the chance to spend time with Kagome.

He was nearly there when a foul stench reached him at almost the same time as the screams. He had started running immediately and felt his heart lurch inside his chest when he recognized Kagome's voice. He increased his speed, leaping over a few villager women who were running away from the area.

As he neared the area his keen eyes caught sight of a twenty-foot oni tearing up the area and swinging a large club. Several empty huts had already been demolished. He spotted Kagome standing to the side, preparing to fire an arrow.

Kagome held her ground as the oni came closer to her position. She can sense that Inuyasha was nearby but was unsure if he would make it before someone got hurt. Aiming carefully, she released her arrow. 'Please hit' she prayed silently. It did, impacting on the left arm of the oni, her purifying powers disintegrating the limb.

"ARGH!" The oni roared in pain and turned to face the direction the arrow had come from. He spotted Kagome reaching for another arrow. "YOU!" it yelled and lunged towards her, swinging it's club.

Kagome saw it coming and knew that she wouldn't be able to make another shot in time. She turned to run but tripped over a forgotten basket as her ankle twisted painfully. She shut her eyes, bracing for the pain only to feel strong arms wrap around her body and carry her away. She opened her eyes and saw the expected red covered chest as Inuyasha leaped out of the reach of the oni.

"You alright?" he asked as he moved to set her down, eyes searching for non-existent wounds.

Her ankle gave a painful twinge as she stood but she ignored it as she shifted her weight to her other leg. "I'm fine. Thanks to you" she told him.

"Good. Wait here" he said and turned to face the oni. Growling, he unsheathed the Tessaiga. "Bastard! What the hell do you want?!"

It looked at him and laughed. "A hanyou. What do you think a weakling like you can do to me?"

Inuyasha growled louder. "I'm going to make you regret deciding to come to this village for what's left of your short life."

It laughed louder. "Funny. But if you're here then that must be the right girl. After I kill you, I'll have fun ripping her apart." He lunged forward, swinging his club.

Inuyasha snarled and met him with the Tessaiga, blocking the club's swing. "Bastard! What the hell do you want with Kagome?!" He was enraged as he shoved the club away to land a glancing blow against the oni's chest.

The oni grunted as it fell back. "Baboon-man promised big reward for her death. Promised big land with lots of prey. Wants her dead, so I'm gonna kill her." He swung the club again.

Inuyasha saw red as he swung the Tessaiga, cleaving the club in half. "You won't touch her!" he roared at the surprised oni before slicing his head from his shoulders. He stood there growling as he fought the urge to tear it's body to shreds. A hand gently touched his shoulder and he turned to see Kagome before she threw herself against his chest.

"It's okay Inuyasha, I'm alright. He can't hurt me now. You beat him." As her words broke through the haze in his mind, he began to calm and became aware of the way his hands were clenched, claws digging into the palms of his hands. He forced himself to relax and unclench them as he wrapped his arms around Kagome, breathing in her calming scent and reassuring himself that she was alright. His ears twitched and he reluctantly stepped back from her as he turned to see Kaede and some of the village men approaching.

"Inuyasha, Kagome" Kaede greeted as she approached. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine Kaede-sama" Kagome said as she moved to greet the older woman. But as she took a step forward her ankle gave out on her and she would have fallen if not for Inuyasha's fast actions.

"Baka! You're hurt" he exclaimed as he lifted her into his arms.

"I'm fine. I just twisted my ankle is all."

"Keh." He didn't sound convinced.

"Take her back to my hut. We'll clean up here" Kaede told him and he quickly complied.

Upon reaching the hut he set her down on her futon and eased her shoe off her foot while rolling up the leg of her hakama. He hissed at seeing how swollen her ankle looked. "Wait here and don't move" he ordered as he left the hut to collect a bucket of water. He returned and began to apply a cold compress to her ankle.

Kagome felt herself blush at how gentle he was being. She was touched that he was being so careful and conscientious in taking care of her. She saw the look of concentration on his face as he carefully wrapped her ankle. "It's okay Inuyasha. I'm fine."

His eyes snapped up to fix her with a glare. She was taken aback at the fierce look on his face, the intensity of his eyes. "It's not alright. You could have been killed, Bitch!"

She felt herself begin to grow angry. He had been so gentle and sweet one moment and the next he was yelling at her and calling her that disgusting name. She knew he only yelled because he had been worried but that didn't explain why he called her that name. "Why do you insist on calling me that vile name?!" She yelled back as she shoved him away. But she couldn't help the flash of surprise she felt when she saw him lower his ears and the glimpse of hurt on his face before he turned away.

'She doesn't want me to call her bitch?' Inuyasha lowered his ears and looked away. 'I thought things were good between us. She's never had a problem touching me or kissing me. Is it just the thought of going beyond that that she doesn't like?' He quickly turned his back so she wouldn't see how hurt he was by her words. "Fine" he muttered gruffly. "I won't call you that anymore if it disgusts you so much." He made to leave but stopped as he felt her hand take hold of his.

Kagome was now really confused. She knew she was missing something vital in that exchange. Why else would he look and sound so hurt when she asked him not to call her a bitch? Seeing him about to leave she panicked and grabbed his hand. "Inuyasha?" He stopped but made no move to turn around. "Inuyasha, please look at me." He slowly turned around and Kagome was taken aback by the look of confused misery on his face. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"Keh" he said as he crossed his arms and looked away as he sat on the floor a few feet from her.

She bit her lip trying to decide the right way to ask her question before deciding to just be straight-forward. "I think there might have been a misunderstanding." She was encouraged when she saw his ears twitch in her direction so she gathered her courage to ask her question. "What do you mean when you call me a bitch?" She sat back and waited for his answer.

Inuyasha frowned at her question and turned to face her. "What do you mean 'what do I mean'? It should be obvious." As far as he was concerned the word only had one meaning, so why was she asking that.

She nodded her head slowly at his answer. "I think we might be thinking of two different things when you call me that." He only looked even more confused, so she sighed. "In my time calling someone a bitch is an insult. It means that a woman is bad-tempered, malicious and spiteful. It could also refer to loose woman or a whore." Watching his face she felt relieved to realize that that neither of those were the meaning he had been using in reference to her.

Inuyasha gazed at her in horror. How could the people in time use a word as special as 'bitch' to refer to something so wrong? His ears flattened against his head as he realized that she thought he had been calling her...**that**! "No!" he burst out suddenly, appalled. "I never meant anything like that!" he hastened to assure her. At her assurance that she realized that now he relaxed before blushing as he tried to figure out how to explain what he meant.

Kagome quickly spotted his difficulty and decided to make it easy for him. "It's okay, Inuyasha. As long as I know that that wasn't what you meant, then you don't have to explain."

He quickly interrupted her, though he was touched by her consideration. "No, it's okay." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I'm half inu youkai." At her nod he continued. "So that means that I have a lot of inu instincts. For an inu, bitch means something special. A bitch is a mature female that you are close to and care deeply about. It usually refers to one that you want to become your mate, if they aren't already." His face was now redder than his haori and he refused to look at her.

Kagome had also begun to blush as she listened to his explanation. 'Oh' she thought. 'So he wants me to be his...' she blushed even further at that thought. And though she was nervous, she found that she didn't mind the idea. She glanced at him and saw the way he was fidgeting and realized how uncomfortable the silence was making him. "Okay" she said finally.

He turned to look at her in confusion. 'What does she mean by okay?'

She blushed again. "Thank you for telling me what it means." She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat before continuing. "You can call me a bitch if you want." She blushed again and looked away.

Inuyasha stared at her in shock. 'Did she really just?' His expression softened and he reached out and pulled her into a strong embrace. They sat there for a few moments before he released her. He opened his mouth to say something else when his ears alerted him to approaching footsteps. So he settled for giving her a brief smile before moving back a bit as Kaede entered the hut.

Kaede realized that she was interrupting something but didn't know what. She made no comment as she quickly checked Kagome's ankle before praising Inuyasha for a good job. "It should be fine by morning" she told them before facing the two with a serious look. "Now, I think we need to have a discussion."

Kagome and Inuyasha both tensed at her words, knowing that what was about to be said would be important.

* * *

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. That discussion between Inuyasha and Kagome has been planned out for a while, though I thought it would have been seen a lot sooner than this. Well, you can't argue with the muses. Sorry for ending it on a mini-cliffhanger but I thought it was the best stopping place. I'll try to have the next chapter out soon.


	27. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

I am so sorry. I never meant to take so long to get this chapter out. Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing and encouraging me to update. Again I apologize. I have no real excuse other than that I have not felt like writing and have spent most of the time reading other fics instead. I can't make any promises about my update schedule other than that I will **try** to update at least once a week. At the moment my muse has returned so I will be working on this story as much as I can.

* * *

They continued to stare expectantly at the old miko. Inuyasha tensed. 'This is it' he thought. 'This is where she tells us to get lost. That they blame me for the oni attack and don't want a filthy hanyou around any longer.' His ears flattened against his head at the thought.

Beside him Kagome noticed how tense he had become and shot him a questioning look. When she saw his ears flatten against his head she knew something was wrong. Reaching out, she gently grasped his hand and gave a gentle squeeze, reassuring him that she was still there.

Inuyasha's eyes shot in her direction and she smiled gently at him. He relaxed marginally as he moved fractionally closer to her before turning his full attention to Kaede. 'Keh. I don't care what she says. She can kick us out for all I care. Kagome doesn't care that I'm a hanyou. If I leave so will she.'

Kaede watched the interaction between the two. She had also noticed how the hanyou had tensed, as well as how he had calmed with contact from the younger woman. The miko looked at the two and took in the expectant but defiant look on his face. Suddenly everything clicked into place in her mind. "Bah! Wipe that look from your face Inuyasha. I mean you no harm. This discussion is about the oni, not you."

Inuyasha's eyebrows shot up at her words. "You mean you don't blame me? You're not about to tell me to leave and never come back?" He felt Kagome squeeze his hand again in reassurance.

Kaede waved him off. "I've told you before. You will always be welcome here. But we must discuss what the oni said." She gave them both a serious look. "His words imply that he was sent here specifically to attack Kagome-sama. If that is true, then the threat remains. Who knows how many more attacks may occur in the future?"

She was prevented from saying more as Inuyasha began growling. One hand clutched the hilt of the Tessaiga while the other pulled Kagome closer to him. "Keh! I'll tear them apart before they get anywhere near Kagome! No one will hurt her. Besides that oni was a weakling." He gave Kagome a look meant to calm her when he saw the worry in her eyes and this time he was the one to squeeze her hand.

Kaede eyed him with a steady gaze. "I know you will do your best to protect Kagome-sama. But we must learn who is behind the attacks or she will remain in danger. The youkai was weak this time but the next might be stronger. We must learn more and stop the attacks at the source if we are to keep Kagome-sama safe."

"Oh. You already know about the threats then" a small voice said from near the door, causing all eyes to turn to face it. "Then I guess I hurried here for no reason. And it was such a long way." The owner of the voice sighed. "I guess I shall be on my way if my warning isn't needed. But before I go, might I have a bite to eat, Inuyasha-sama?" Myouga the flea hopped nearer to where they sat, hungrily eying Inuyasha.

Inuyasha allowed the flea to get close then snatched him up and held him close to his face between two fingers. "Alright Myouga-jiji. Start talking and make it fast. What do you know about the one behind the attack? What are these threats? And where can I find the bastard responsible? I'll make sure he never threatens her again." He growled the last part.

Myouga gulped as he took in the bloodthirsty look on his master's face. He could tell that Inuyasha meant business. Still, as his eyes took in the sight of Inuyasha's pulsing vein, the flea couldn't help himself. "Of course Inuyasha-sama, I am happy to share my knowledge with you. But I have traveled far to bring this information to you and am in need of sustenance. Can't I have small bite first?" His answer was to be squished between the fingers holding him before being dropped to the ground. "Such is the life of a flea" he said as his body re-inflated with a small pop.

"Inuyasha! That wasn't very nice" Kagome admonished before turning to the flea. "Please Myouga-jiisan, what do you know about the youkai that attacked and who sent it?"

The flea jumped up to land on Inuyasha's knee. Folding his arms he began. "I heard rumors concerning Inuyasha-sama and went to investigate. Many lower level youkai have been approached and offered rewards and power if they manage to kill the miko who destroyed the Shikon no Tama. They have a brief description of Kagome-sama, that she is dark haired and doesn't wear the typical miko clothing. Also, it is said that she can be found in this area and is protected by an inu-hanyou. Once I heard that I knew that I needed to warn you. I had hoped to get here before any of the youkai but I see that I did not succeed."

"Keh! You were just running from the danger and either came here for me to protect you or this was just a stop before you keep traveling away from the danger." Inuyasha huffed as he folded his arms across his chest and glared at the youkai.

"Inuyasha-sama, you wound me! How can you think so little of me?" The flea cried.

"Because I know you, you coward."

"Actually Inuyasha, he's got a point." Kagome pointed out. "He came to where he knew the youkai would be in order to warn us."

Inuyasha waved a hand through the air. "Feh. He said it himself, he thought he would beat the youkai here. I bet he planned to tell us and then continue on his way out of the area."

Looking at the sweating flea Kagome had to concede the point. "I guess so." Ignoring the flea's grumbling she asked "What do you know about the one behind the threats, Myouga-jiisan? Has anything been mentioned about him?"

Myouga ceased his grumbling in order to answer her question. "I am sorry Kagome-sama. Not much is known about him. I could not find out a name and the only description I could get was that he covers himself with the pelt of a baboon, so no one knows what he looks like." The flea shrugged. "He could be anyone. Though most of the rumors seem to state that he appears in areas that are to the northwest of here. If you were to head in that direction, it is possible that you would be able to learn more."

Kaede spoke up then. "The oni did mention a baboon-man. So we know it is the same one behind the attack but how will we find him? And how did he know about the Shikon no Tama?" The old miko gazed at them with a serious and worried look in her eye. "While many youkai would have felt the returned presence of the Shikon no Tama, shortly followed by it's destruction, how would he have known that Kagome was the one responsible?"

They sat there and pondered that thought for a few minutes before Kagome sat up straight with a sharp gasp. "Yura!" she cried out.

Inuyasha gave her a confused look. "Yura? What's she got to do with anything? She's dead."

Kagome shook her head. "Not her but something she said when she first showed up."

_Flashback_

"_Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yura of the Hair and I'll be taking the Shikon no Tama now, as well as your hair." She said as she walked closer to Inuyasha, grabbing a length of his hair. "What a lovely color. The baboon man never said your hair was so gorgeous." She muttered as she stroked it._

_End Flashback_

Kagome continued. "She mentioned a baboon-man as well. I don't know who he is but he's been involved since almost the beginning." She shivered at the thought and moved closer to Inuyasha's side, relaxing a bit when she felt him give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Kaede gave a grave nod of her head as she thought about it. "That is most distressing news. It means that whoever this baboon-man is, he has been watching us for awhile now. It is possible he is also responsible for the previous youkai attacks that have occurred recently."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply but stopped as his ears began to twitch. He took several sniffs, then with a growl he stood and ran out of the hut. The others stared after him for a moment before the sounds of screaming reached them. Kaede and Kagome quickly grabbed their weapons and exited the hut. They were just in time to see Inuyasha dispatch a low level youkai.

"Keh! What a weakling" he grumbled before turning to the women. "I'm going to make sure there aren't any others in the area." With that he bounded out of the village.

Kaede quickly conferred with the villagers and was relieved to learn that no one was hurt. She spoke to the village headman, Yoshi, and arranged for guards to be set up around the perimeter of the village. Once finished she returned to her hut to find a scowling Inuyasha sitting protectively next to Kagome. The miko gave him an inquiring look.

He grunted. "There were a couple of more in the forest. I took care of them." But the troubled look on his face revealed that he wasn't happy about the situation with the youkai.

Kaede nodded gravely. "I see. I expected something like that." She sighed and poked at the fire before fixing the hanyou with a serious look. "You know that the attacks will continue unless this baboon-man is dealt with. And while the youkai that have been attacking were weak, the next ones might be stronger. Maybe even too strong for you."

"Keh! Ain't no youkai strong enough to beat me!" Inuyasha remarked in response. He shot a quick glance at Kagome before sighing and continuing. "But I agree with you. I'm gonna find this baboon-man and teach him why it's not smart to mess with me. I don't like the fact that he threatened Kagome, and I'm gonna make him pay." 'Besides' he thought. 'I saw the looks on the villagers' faces after that last attack. They may not blame me yet but if the attacks continue they soon will. Better to leave before that happens. Don't need a repeat of the events at Hisao's village.' "I'll leave tomorrow."

Kagome had been quiet up until this point but at his announcement she clutched his hand and said "You mean we'll leave tomorrow." She gave him a look that dared him to argue with her.

Inuyasha gave a start as he looked at her. He hadn't really considered whether Kagome would be going or staying. He had assumed she would want to stay in the village. He was glad to hear that she wanted to go with him and was about to agree. But then he hesitated as he thought about it. On the one hand he would prefer to have her with him where he could keep an eye on her. And, he admitted to himself (though he would never admit it to anyone else), he felt more at ease when she was with him. But on the other hand he wanted her safe. Was it really a good idea to bring her closer to the guy that is trying to kill her?

As Kagome continued to stare at him expectantly, Kaede also watched his face and saw the indecision there. She could read the thoughts that flew through his mind by the emotions that crossed his face and decided to point out something that had not occurred to him. "Inuyasha, you should also consider that the attacks will continue for as long as Kagome remains in the village. They are aimed at her, not you."

A jolt ran through Inuyasha's body at the miko's words. He hadn't even considered that! If he went to search for the baboon-man and left Kagome here, then who would protect her from any attacks?

Kagome saw the look that crossed his face and knew just what to say to get what she wanted. "See Inuyasha? I'll be safest if I stay with you. I know you'll protect me, and I am getting better with the bow so I'll be able to help as well."

Inuyasha saw the look of trust in her eyes and finally conceded defeat. "Keh! Fine wench, you're coming with me. At least this way I'll be able to keep an eye on you. Someone's got to keep you out of trouble." He folded his arms over his chest, tucking them into his sleeves as he turned away to hide the warm feeling he felt at the deep trust she showed him. And therefore missed the troubled look that crossed Kagome's face.

'Did he really not want me to go with him? He doesn't think I'm a burden, does he? He was just telling me earlier that he cares about me. Something like this couldn't make him change his mind, right?' Kagome forced those thoughts to the back of her mind as Kaede cleared her throat.

"If that is settled then perhaps we should discuss your plans. How do you expect to find this baboon-man?"

Kagome spoke up. "Well Myouga-jiisan did say we could learn more if we traveled northwest. Right Myouga-jiisan?" She turned to look for the flea but could find no sign of him.

"Feh. Coward fled during the youkai attack. But you're right he did say that. So now we have a direction to look. We'll travel northwest and look for anything that seems out of place. Besides, I'm sure the bastard will show himself before long anyway once he realizes we have left the village and are getting closer."

"I am glad to see that you are thinking this through Inuyasha." Kaede told him. "Since you seem to have a plan already, perhaps it is time for us to turn in. It is getting late and I'm sure that you will want to leave as soon as possible tomorrow. In the morning I will help you arrange supplies for your journey. But for now I bid you a goodnight." With that they settled down for the night.

Kaede settled in her normal bed roll near the fire. As Kagome settled down into her usual spot she realized that Inuyasha was seated near the door instead of near her bed roll. She shot him a questioning look and he shifted the Tessaiga against his shoulder. She gave him a nod to show that she understood that he was standing guard for the night and laid down. But sleep was elusive that night as worries plagued her mind. Worries about this baboon-man and why he wanted her dead, worries about the youkai attacks, and worries about someone getting hurt in the next attack. But mostly her worries centered on whether Inuyasha was getting tired of always having to save her and if he considered her a burden, if he had changed his mind. When sleep finally found her it was a troubled one and not very restful.

Morning came much too soon for Kagome after a restless night with little sleep. When she awoke she immediately began to help Kaede with breakfast though she had little appetite. She did not notice the worried looks that Inuyasha gave her as he noticed the bags under her eyes. He was aware of how little sleep she had gotten, having heard her toss and turn more than once during the night. He decided not to say anything yet, positive that it was just the worries about the baboon-man and his threats against her.

Once they had eaten, Kagome set out with Kaede to collect the needed supplies while Inuyasha patrolled the nearby forest for anymore youkai. He found a few and noted that while still weak, they were stronger than the previous youkai. Perhaps it was a good thing that they would be leaving soon. Once the youkai realized that they were gone the attacks should cease. He sighed before heading back to the village.

Inuyasha began to head towards where he knew Kagome and Kaede would be only to pause and sniff the air. With a growl he headed towards the fields where the villagers were working. "Damn it! Another youkai! It must have skirted the edge of the forest to approach from the other side of the village." He increased his speed and arrived just as the sentries spotted it and raised the alarm. Inuyasha leaped over the villagers and the crops heading for the snake youkai.

As he got close it slithered out of the way and headed toward several of the village men. Inuyasha increased his speed while yelling for the men to run and get out of the way. They obeyed and Inuyasha leaped at the snake, slashing with his claws. But it managed to evade him.

The youkai let out a hissing laugh. "How pathetic. You actually care about these humanssss, hanyou? That will be your downfall." The snake youkai opened it's mouth and a cloud of miasma sprayed out, paralyzing all of the villagers.

Inuyasha cursed and covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his haori. The miasma quickly dissipated but the men remained frozen. He glared at the youkai. "You'll pay for that" he yelled as he again leaped forward to attack but the youkai dodged behind the paralyzed men, halting Inuyasha's attack. He cursed again as he realized that this one was smarter than the other youkai had been. First it avoided the forest and now it was using the villagers to protect itself. This continued for several minutes with the youkai continuing to dodge behind the village men to keep Inuyasha from attacking.

Finally, a frustrated Inuyasha unsheathed Tessaiga. Using the extra reach of the fang, he managed to pin the snake's tail to the ground. Then with a shout of "Sankon Tessou" he finished the youkai off. Once the youkai had died the effects of its miasma quickly wore off and the men were able to move again. Inuyasha reclaimed Tessaiga and snorted when he saw the wary looks on the villagers' faces. "Feh. You might want to do something with that body. Who knows, maybe it'll make good fertilizer." With that he headed back into the village and quickly met up with Kaede and Kagome who were relieved to learn that the youkai had already been dealt with. They headed back to Kaede's hut.

"Keh. Just proves that it's time to go. This one wasn't much stronger than the others but it was smarter. It's time for us to go and stop the attacks at the source." He turned to Kagome. "Are you ready?"

She nodded and gestured to a pack that was sitting near the door of the hut. "We had just finished gathering the supplies when word reached us of an attack in the fields."

"Well there's no longer any need to worry about that youkai, and the sooner we leave the sooner the attacks will stop. So let's get going." He turned to face Kaede. "We'll be back after I've beaten the cowardly bastard behind the attacks, baba."

Kagome also turned to Kaede. "Thank you for everything Kaede-sama. I'll miss you."

"And I will miss the both of you as well" Kaede replied before looking up at the sky and noticing how late it had become. "But it is now late afternoon. Perhaps it would be better if you were to hold off your departure until tomorrow morning. Start out fresh on a good night's sleep." She had noticed how tired Kagome had been during the day. One more night couldn't hurt could it?

Inuyasha also glanced at the sky as he considered her words. He then glanced at Kagome and was about to agree when he felt a jolt of weakness go through him. 'Damn it! With all of the excitement I forgot that tonight was the night of the New Moon. There's no way I'm gonna stay in the village tonight. I don't need the whole village to discover my time of weakness.' He shook his head. "No, there's still plenty of light to travel by. The sooner we leave the better."

Kagome looked at him curiously as she detected the urgent tone in his voice. Realization hit her and she lifted the pack onto her shoulder while quickly voicing her agreement to Kaede. "Inuyasha's right. Don't worry Kaede-sama, we'll be fine. We'll be back as soon as we can." With that the three said their farewells, though Kaede was still confused about their desire to leave immediately. Once their goodbyes were finished Inuyasha pulled Kagome onto his back and headed out of the village.

Instead of immediately setting off to the northwest, Inuyasha turned and headed toward the hot springs. They reached the cave they had stayed at the previous month shortly before sunset. He set Kagome down inside the cave and said "Wait here." Then he bounded off and quickly checked the area, ensuring that there were no youkai around. Once he had determined that the area was safe for the night he returned to the cave.

He scowled when he saw that Kagome had lit a fire. "Put that out" he told her, though he accepted the food she handed him. At her confused look he rolled his eyes and said "The smoke and light from the fire will give away our position to anyone that happens to stumble into the area. It'll be a beacon to any youkai that want to attack."

"But you didn't mind when I lit a fire last time. And didn't you just check the area and determine that we are alone?" she pointed out though she did douse the fire.

"Keh. Last time we didn't have every youkai in the area hunting you. And while the area is clear now, it doesn't mean that something won't move in during the night." He grumbled as the sun finished setting and his body changed.

Kagome stared as his hair bled to black, dog ears disappeared and human ones appeared, as well as the disappearance of his claws and fangs. She knew it would happen but it still astonished her each time that she saw it. Inuyasha scowled at her when he caught her staring, and she blushed and apologized.

Inuyasha huffed and gestured for her to go deeper into the cave. "Go get some sleep." He sat down near to the entrance with Tessaiga propped against his shoulder though he knew it wouldn't do him much good if they were attacked. Without the fire it was nearly pitch black in the cave and all he could make out was Kagome's outline. He mentally cursed his weak human body again. "What are you doing?" he asked when he noticed that instead of following his suggestion, Kagome had settled herself across from him on the other side of the cave entrance.

Kagome looked up from where she was placing her bow and arrows in easy reach to squint at the boy who sat only feet away from her. She could barely see him. "I told you last time that I wasn't going to let you face this alone. If you want you can get some sleep and I'll stand guard. I have my arrows and I know that Tessaiga won't transform for you if we are attacked." She winced, she hadn't meant to say that, at least not in such a way that made it sound like he couldn't defend himself.

Inuyasha scowled darkly in her direction. "Keh! You think I need to be protected by you? Think again! I've been protecting myself on nights like this for as long as I can remember. I don't need your help."

Kagome flinched at the anger in his words. 'Does he really mean that? Does he not want me around after all?' She shook her head to clear it. 'No, I know that he hates feeling weak and I implied that he needed me to protect him.' "I'm sorry Inuyasha. I didn't mean to imply that you're weak. I don't think that at all. I just thought that since you protect me all the time I could return the favor."

His eyes softened as he heard the sadness in her voice as well as the words she said. "Keh. Don't worry about it, I told you I would protect you. You don't need to worry about protecting me. I still think you should get some sleep. I know you must be tired, you didn't sleep well yesterday." It was the closest thing he could offer as an apology for yelling at her.

Kagome understood what he was doing and smiled at him though he couldn't see it. "No, I'm fine. I'll stay up and keep you company."

Inuyasha snorted and said "Suit yourself." He knew she was tired and fully expected her to fall asleep before long. The night passed and he was surprised when she managed to stay awake the entire time.

As the sky began to lighten he could feel the pulse as his youkai blood began to return. Glancing at Kagome he could see that she was still awake, though barely. Her head would start to tilt forward as her eyes drooped before she would jerk up and look around. He shook his head in amusement. Then the sun cleared the horizon and he felt the change come over him.

Kagome looked up as she felt the pulse. She smiled as she watched the black in his hair change to a snowy silver, his dark eyes changed back to their normal gold, and his claws and fangs returned. But her smile grew wider as she watched the human ears change and shift into dog ears on the top of his head. He turned to look at her and snorted when he saw her smile.

"Feh" he said before moving to the cave entrance. He listened and sniffed, thankful for the return of his stronger senses. When he didn't detect anything nearby he said "Alright bitch, it's time to go." Not hearing a response he turned to face Kagome and snorted again. She was sitting in the same position but was nearly asleep. He went over to her and hauled her to her feet despite her protests. "Come on, it's time for us to go. Told ya, you should have gone to sleep last night."

Kagome grumbled as he handed her the pack and her bow and quiver. Sighing she slung the items over her back. 'He's right, I'm the one who insisted on staying awake all night, so now I'm the one who has to deal with the consequences. Still, I don't regret it' she thought as she glanced at the hanyou who stood waiting outside of the cave. She joined him and was surprised when he gave her a soft look before he gently pulled her onto his back. She had expected him to have her walk in the mornings before it got too hot, like he had the last time they traveled.

"Go ahead and sleep, Kagome. I've got you" Inuyasha said once he had settled her on his back. He smiled slightly when he felt her relax against him, then he took off in the direction Myouga had indicated they might find answers, northwest.

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So let me know what you think. Again I'm sorry for the long wait. The next two chapters are mostly written out and will be posted close together because they are connected. In the next chapter we'll finally see someone I know a lot of you have been waiting for. Anyone feel like guessing who? Like I said before, I can't make any promises but I will try to update at least once a week.


	28. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

You wouldn't believe how many times this chapter has been edited and rewritten. I actually had this chapter written months ago and it was much shorter, containing only part of what it does now, and the next chapter was originally part of it. But I had trouble writing the previous chapter as evidenced by how long it took me to update. But in this case, I think that it was a good thing that it took me that long to update as during that time I constantly reworked this chapter into what it is now. Several scenes, including at least the first half of this chapter, would not have been included if I had posted the original draft. So when you review, I want to know what your favorite part was.

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The sun was high in the sky and even the shade offered by the trees failed to provide any relief from the unbearable heat its rays created. Kagome wiped at the sweat streaming down her face with a small cloth before regarding her companion with an annoyed glare. He noticed her look and grunted before turning his head away. His actions only increased her annoyance, and the fact that the sweltering heat was affecting him just as much as it was her did little to soothe her. She huffed as she adjusted her sticky clothing in an attempt to cool off. No, this heat was definitely not helping her temper.

Inuyasha scowled as he heard her huff. He was just as uncomfortable as her, if not more so. Fire-rat fur was great for keeping warm, but not so good when one was trying to cool off. But he had stubbornly refused to remove his haori when Kagome had made the suggestion, refusing to show any perceived weakness. He now regretted that decision, as well as the fuss he had made about not being a weak human who couldn't stand the heat. Now his pride wouldn't let him remove it and give her the satisfaction of seeing that she was right.

His ears twitched on the top of his head from the continuous buzzing he heard from somewhere nearby. It had been annoying him since they started this trip. He clenched the hilt of the Tessaiga in one hand as he fought the urge to find every insect hive in the area and destroy them in retaliation for the irritation they had caused him. Feeling Kagome's eyes on the back of his head and hearing another irritated sound from her, his frayed temper finally snapped.

"What do you want from me?" he yelled out as he whirled to face her. "You want that next time I should let the youkai kill you?"

Kagome glared back at him as they finally broached the topic that had caused her main irritation. "Baka! You know better than that! But how are we going to find out more about this baboon-man if you keep killing every youkai that might have some answers before we can learn anything. We've been traveling for nearly a week and we still don't have any more information than when we started." They had been attacked by youkai at least once a day since leaving Kaede's village but Inuyasha had always killed them before they could learn anything about the baboon-man.

"Well excuse me for trying to keep you safe! These youkai are trying to kill you! You think they'll stop if we ask them nicely?"

"I know that! But there has to be a way to stop them without killing them. Otherwise, how were you planning to get information in the first place?"

Inuyasha huffed as he conceded that she had a point. What she didn't understand was that each of the youkai had made some comment or threat against Kagome and his instincts had asserted themselves before he could think things through, leading him to kill the threat as quickly as possible. "Fine" he grudgingly said. "The next youkai that attacks, I'll try not to kill right away. Maybe if I cut off its legs" he pondered.

Kagome turned green as she listened to him wonder how to cripple the next youkai that attacked so he could beat the information out of it. She tried to clear the look from her face when he glanced at her but didn't succeed.

"What?" he asked as he saw the squeamish look on her face. When she looked away, he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Baka, how else do you think we're going to get any information?" Turning, he continued to walk through the trees.

"We could try asking first." She pointed out.

"Oh sure. The next youkai that attacks, I'll just offer a cup of tea and say 'Wait. Before you attack and violently rip us apart, would you mind telling us who sent you to kill us?'" He whirled around to face her. "Are you fucking nuts? You can't just ask a fucking youkai a question like that. They'll kill you before you can finish the question. That is, if they're not to busy laughing their asses off!" He scowled and punched a tree, which promptly fell over. Then he grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder before continuing the journey through the forest, cursing and muttering about baka bitches and their idiotic ideas.

Kagome was too stunned to react when she was tossed over his shoulder. But after listening to his derogatory comments for a few minutes she snapped out of her shock and realized the position she was in. Pushing at his back she began to demand "Inuyasha, you baka! Put me down!" She felt herself becoming dizzy from the blood rushing to her head.

"Keh! I don't think so, bitch. If I put you down, who knows what kind of crazy idea you'll come up with next. At least this way, I know exactly where you are and what you are doing." He bounced his shoulder to emphasize his point and Kagome's breath left her with a grunt.

"I mean it Inuyasha! Put me down, all of the blood is rushing to my head." She hoped that pointing this out might convince him.

It didn't. "Good. Maybe some blood circulating in that pretty little head of yours will knock some sense into you and keep you from coming up with any more stupid ideas. I swear, I don't know where you come up with these things." He trailed off into mumbling again.

If Kagome had been able to think straight without all of the blood rushing to her head, she might have blushed at the fact that he called her pretty. But all she felt at the moment was her own irritation returning with a vengeance. Part of her, the analytical and rational part, knew that Inuyasha had a point. It also pointed out that a large amount of her irritation was caused by the summer heat and that if they could just find some relief from the heat they would be able to calm down and discuss things rationally. But the rest of her was too upset to care. She was hot, missing her family after not seeing them for nearly four months (though she tried not to think about that), someone wanted her dead and was sending youkai to do it, and to top it all off Inuyasha was pissing her off! Part of her irritation with the hanyou was also because he had taken to spending the nights in a tree guarding their camp, which had also fed fuel to her doubts about whether he still wanted her with him. Actually, other than carrying her on his back at various times and now on his shoulder, he had been avoiding contact with her, she realized, adding to her doubts which only added to her anger. All of this combined to make her respond in a way that she may not have under normal circumstances.

Grabbing a handful of his long hair that was directly in her face, she gave a sharp yank. A feeling of satisfaction briefly surged through her when he let out a startled, pained yelp. The satisfaction was short-lived as she was immediately yanked off his shoulder and dropped onto the ground. Standing up while absently rubbing her rear, she took in the dark look on the scowling hanyou's face.

"Bitch! What the hell was that for?" Inuyasha glared at her. He couldn't believe she had resorted to hair pulling and had to fight his instinctive urge to put her in her place.

She glared right back at him. "I told you to put me down. You wouldn't listen. So I made you put me down. What gives you the right to -" She trailed off and looked around as the sound of trickling water caught her attention. The fight and her anger were forgotten as she took in the sight of the nearby stream. The water was clear and looked very inviting. They were just past a bend in the stream, so the current wasn't very strong. There were even some boulders set on the shore that would hide someone in the water from the view of someone on the shore. Daydreams of taking a bath in the inviting water caused Kagome to give a loud squeal. 'What luck! A way to cool off from this unbearable heat.'

Inuyasha gave her an odd look when she suddenly went quiet. A strange, dreamy look crossed her face before she let out a high pitched sound that plastered his ears to his head. 'What the hell has gotten into her?' he wondered as he looked at the dreamy smile on her face.

The smile still in place, Kagome turned to him and said "Inuyasha, I'm going to take a bath." That said, she proceeded to walk over to the boulders and set her bag down while removing the bathing supplies Kaede had provided her with.

Inuyasha could only gape after her for a long moment. Then, her words sunk in and he marched over to her. "Keh! I don't think so, bitch! We don't have time for you to indulge in your obsessive need to be clean. We have a baboon-man to find remember? We don't have time to waste on your stupid bath! Now let's go!" He crossed his arms and waited, a foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

Kagome carefully placed her supplies on the ground before turning to look at him with a calm look on her face. Slowly she walked towards him and as she got nearer he could see that the look was forced. "Inuyasha" she began, and something about the tone of her voice made him nervous. "I am hot, sweaty and sticky, as well as tired, and very, very annoyed." With each word she took a step closer and, unconsciously, Inuyasha took a step back until his back hit the trunk of a tree. Then she began to poke him in the chest to emphasize her words. "I am going to take my bath-"

She gave him a glare when he opened his mouth to interrupt her and he shut it as he took in the sight of her miko aura forming around her body. Then she continued "-and you are going to sit, **quietly**, behind those rocks, with your back to the stream without arguing with me. Once I am done, we can continue on our journey. Do I make myself **perfectly clear?**" She nearly shouted the last part, and her aura seemed to spark around her. Inuyasha could only nod meekly in reply, dumbfounded at the display from the normally easygoing girl in front of him. She smiled at him, and just like that was back to her normal self as she said "Good" before turning and heading back to her bathing supplies.

Inuyasha could only stare after her in shock as he thought 'What the hell just happened?' After a few moments he muttered "Keh!" and crossed his arms but after a look from Kagome, he walked over to the boulders and sat down with his back against them, though he had gratefully removed his haori first, while he berated himself for losing control of the situation and contemplating how he had lost that control.

A few minutes later he was stifling a groan as the full brunt of the situation made itself known. His ears twitched at the splashing he could hear as well as Kagome's happy sighs and near moans of pleasure. He tried to ignore the sounds but his body betrayed him. 'Damn it, how did I let her talk me into this?' He tried not to think about her behind him, naked with the water streaming down her body, the cold water making her nipples-

He flushed and tried to break off that line of thinking but the damage was done. It didn't help that he had memories of seeing her in various states of undress that only served to heighten his imagination. He glared down at the tent in his hakama, trying to wish it away. He nearly had it under control when Kagome's voice broke into his thoughts. "Inuyasha the water is great! You really need to try this, I bet you'll feel better and your mood will be improved in no time." Instantly his mind was flooded with thoughts of joining her in the water, of seeing her naked body, pressing it against his own-

"KEH!" He scowled down at the evidence of his body's betrayal. Why was this happening now, he wondered. 'Before I met Kagome, this had only happened to me a few times in my life and I was always able to make it go away. But this has happened more times since I met her than it did prior to me meeting her. She isn't even in heat this time!' He once more tried to will the problem away but this time nothing happened. "I think I'm gonna need that cold bath after all" he mumbled while trying to keep his thoughts away from the reason that bath was necessary. He shifted, as he tried to get more comfortable in his condition.

Kagome was thoroughly enjoying herself. The water had an immediate cooling effect on her, and washing the dirt and sweat off of her had improved her mood greatly. A sudden noise from the shore had her suspiciously looking at the spot where Inuyasha was sitting. She could just make out the tops of his ears. Sinking slightly into the water while keeping an eye on the boulders she called "You better not be peeking."

His flush deepened to match his haori at her words. "Keh" he muttered loud enough for her to hear as he again shifted in his seat.

Satisfied with his answer, Kagome returned her attention to her bath. Though she couldn't help but wonder, would it really be such a bad thing if he was sneaking a peek? Maybe she should ask him to join her. She gasped at her own thoughts as her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. She quickly ducked her head under the water to cool her flushed face and regain control of her body as she wondered what had come over her.

Suddenly, Inuyasha stiffened and went tense, his whole body alert. 'Was that-' His ears twitched and he heard it again, the rustling of some leaves. But there was no breeze to cause it. 'It could just be an animal' he thought but he doubted it. His ears twitched upon his head, trying to locate the direction the noise had come from while his nose went to work sniffing for signs of trouble. When the noise came again, he leaped on to the boulder clutching Tessaiga, still searching for the source.

Kagome noticed the movement and gave a short scream, while wrapping her arms around her body and ducking down. Recognizing Inuyasha she angrily began to demand "Inuyasha! What are you-?" She was cut off when threw his haori at her and gestured for her to be quiet. Seeing how alert he was and how he kept glancing around, one hand on the hilt of the Tessaiga, Kagome quieted down and wrapped his haori around herself before moving out of the water and to his side.

Inuyasha felt a bit more at ease when Kagome moved to his side but he remained alert, looking for danger.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly, nervous at his actions. Were they about to be attacked, she wondered.

"Feh. I heard a noise from upstream. It's gone now" he told her as he relaxed slightly when he heard nothing else. Turning to face Kagome he couldn't help but to stare at her. Wrapped in nothing but his haori, drops of water continued to drip down her exposed skin, while the fire-rat clung to her in places, showing off her body's curves. Swallowing hard he was suddenly very thankful for how baggy his hakama were as his body's condition managed to recapture his attention. He quickly jumped into the water. "Stay here and get dressed" he called back to her before moving further away. "I'm going to check out the area I heard the noise in." With that he began to splash upstream.

He reflected that he hadn't exactly lied to her. He was going to check out the spot, but it was just an excuse to remain in the water. He hoped that the cold water would have an effect on his body. He blushed at the thought of having to explain to Kagome. Would she understand or would she be angry? He might just find out, he reflected, as he noticed that the cold water didn't seem to be having any effect.

But all of those thoughts fled when he reached the spot upstream where he thought the noise had come from. It was right at the bend of the stream and could not be seen from where he and Kagome had been because the foliage blocked it from view. Right away, he could detect the scent of a male human. It was recent too. But the thing that made him forget his body's problem was that it wasn't just the male scent that he detected, but the scent of an aroused male. Moving to where the scent was strongest, Inuyasha found that from where he was standing, if he shifted a branch slightly, he had a perfect view of the spot where Kagome had been bathing while remaining hidden from her sight.

Inuyasha was enraged. Someone had been spying on his bitch! 'How dare he?' He was growling at the thought. "If I ever find the pervert, I'm gonna tear his eyes out of his head!" he snarled. He was tempted to track the man down by scent when he heard Kagome calling him. He forced himself to calm down before memorizing the man's scent and promising himself a chance to express his displeasure if he ever came across him, then started back to where Kagome was nervously waiting, bow in hand.

As he approached, he wryly mused that at least his anger had solved his 'not so little' problem. Upon reaching Kagome and seeing the expectant look on her face he scratched his head while wondering what to tell her. He absently took his haori back and pulled it on, not caring that it was damp as he pondered how much he should tell her.

"Inuyasha?"

"Feh." He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away. "I found the scent of a human male. He had been there, recently, but he's gone now."

Kagome caught the implications of his statement and flushed a bright red. "B-but it might have just been somebody passing by right?" When Inuyasha didn't answer, her blush deepened. "O-or maybe someone just stumbled upon us, realized I was bathing, and left?" Inuyasha gave her a look but didn't say anything and she quieted down, her blush even deeper if possible.

Finally Inuyasha sighed and told her "Come on. You've had your bath and now we need to get going." Nodding, a still embarrassed Kagome grabbed her pack and allowed Inuyasha to pull her onto his back. They traveled in silence for the rest of the day, Kagome because she was too embarrassed about someone (other than Inuyasha) possibly spying on her and Inuyasha because he could tell she was embarrassed and he was still angry that someone had dared to spy on HIS Kagome. They eventually made camp for the night, both hoping that things would be better the next day. Before falling asleep, Kagome reflected that at least their earlier argument was forgotten, something that Inuyasha unknowingly echoed.

* * *

Things were back to normal for them the next day as the events of the previous day were pushed to the back of their minds. It was a bit cooler than the previous day and both were in better moods. They traveled as usual for most of the morning. But shortly before midday, disaster struck.

As they were walking through the forest Kagome pointed out some herbs that Kaede had taught her about. She went to collect some while Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her actions. Suddenly, Inuyasha stiffened and called for Kagome to stop. He sniffed, detecting the scent of a bear youkai nearby. His ears twitched atop his head, flickering back and forth as he tried to determine where the scent was coming from but the annoying buzzing was back and interfering with his hearing. He cursed when the large youkai emerged from their left, close to where Kagome stood. It was too close to her. Inuyasha wouldn't be able to move fast enough to prevent it from attacking her. He cursed himself for allowing her to wander so far away from him. The wind had been blowing its scent away, allowing him to get almost on top of them before Inuyasha detected him. "What do you want?" he growled at the bear as he tried to unobtrusively inch himself closer to Kagome.

The bear lumbered forward another step. "Hanyou" it rumbled at Inuyasha before turning its gaze on Kagome. His eyes widened. "You miko. You reek of spiritual power." He looked between Kagome and Inuyasha before letting out a loud laugh. "You miko that destroy Shikon no Tama. I kill you and claim reward. Feast on hanyou tonight."

Inuyasha gave up on stealth and ran as fast as he could. He was too late. For a being as large and bulky as the bear youkai was, it could move surprisingly fast. It swiped at Kagome who tried to dodge but couldn't completely avoid the strike. It connected with her side and she was knocked off her feet into a nearby tree, hitting her head.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha felt his heart stop when he saw her collapse unmoving beneath the tree. He took a step in her direction when the bear was suddenly in his way.

"Fool hanyou. No worry about miko. You soon join her." It swung a meaty paw, connecting with Inuyasha's cheek and causing him to slide back a few steps.

Inuyasha slowly raised his head and spat onto the ground. His eyes once more landed on Kagome's still form before turning enraged and catching sight of the bear youkai. "You..will..PAY!" He lunged forward and quickly tore the youkai to pieces.

A few moments later, he stood panting over the remains of the bear youkai, snarling and fighting the urge to tear the remains into so many pieces that they would never be identified. Then his eyes landed on Kagome's still form once more, and the rage immediately left his body. "Kagome!" He ran to her side, fear clutching his heart in a vise like grip. She had to be okay, she couldn't be-

He breathed a sigh of relief when he reached her and saw her chest rising and falling with every breath. As he began to calm down, the pounding in his ears ceased and he was able to make out the steady beat of her heart. Carefully, he checked her over for injuries, and was relieved to find very few. Her side was bruised but nothing felt broken and she had a lump and a small cut near her temple where her head had struck the tree.

Relieved that she was okay, or would be, he gently shook her shoulder. "Oi, bitch this is no time to be sleeping." His worry began to build again when she did not respond. "Come on Kagome, open your eyes and say something. Yell at me, anything, just wake up." Only the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and the steady beat of her heart kept him from completely panicking.

Inuyasha removed his haori and wrapped it around Kagome before reaching forward and gently lifting her into his arms. Holding her against his chest, he began to look for a place he could set up camp. Catching sight of the remains of the bear youkai, he growled before turning away in preparation to leave the area. He paused as the wind shifted again. "Fuck" he cursed as he detected the scent of rain. Glancing at the small amount of sky he could see through the forest canopy, he judged that he still had some time before the rain would reach them. But glancing at the unconscious girl in his arms, he knew he had to find shelter fast. It wouldn't do any good to let her get caught in the rain.

Looking around, all he could see was the trees of the forest. He cursed again, knowing that the trees would provide little protection in a storm. He paused to think as he recalled that earlier they had passed the foot of a mountain that bordered on the forest. He quickly began to run back the way they had come, hoping to find a cave to shelter in before the rain arrived.

Reaching the bottom of the mountain a short time later, he quickly found a small opening in the rocks. Realizing that there was still some time before the rain reached them, he gently set Kagome down near the cave entrance while he entered to ensure it was safe and unoccupied. He warily eyed several rocks set above the entrance but determined that it would take a lot of force to make them fall. Entering the cave he was relieved to find that it was bigger than it looked from the outside and was unoccupied. He could detect that it had been previously used as a den by some animals but not any time recently. Satisfied, he turned and exited the cave to retrieve Kagome.

He had just made it to the entrance and was turning to face where he had left Kagome when he felt something touch his back. He tried to move but found that he couldn't. His eyes widened in shock as he belatedly felt the spiritual power in the area. 'Fuck!' Slowly, his attacker walked around his frozen body into view.

The human male was dressed in the robes of a Buddhist monk, or houshi, and carried a staff in one hand. His dark hair was tied at the back of his neck and earrings adorned his ears. "Now, now" he admonished as he waved one finger at Inuyasha as if rebuking a naughty child. "I'm afraid that I can not allow you to carry out your foul intentions for this fair maiden." He glanced down at where Kagome lay and Inuyasha didn't like the glint that appeared in his eyes when he looked at her.

Inuyasha growled and tried to force his body to move. The houshi noticed and laughed. "I'm afraid that won't do you any good. My ofuda will keep a foul youkai like yourself contained for a long time. Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery after I see to the girl. I'm sure she'll be grateful to me for saving her."

Inuyasha's eyes widened further at the houshi's words. "S-stay...away...from...her!" He managed to force out as he saw the man reach down to lift Kagome off of the ground. He felt Tessaiga pulse against his side, and slowly his hand inched towards it.

It was the houshi's turn to be shocked as he saw Inuyasha fight against the effects of the ofuda. "That's not possible" he mumbled. Quickly, he grabbed Kagome and stepped further away from the cave entrance and Inuyasha.

That only increased Inuyasha's rage and his struggles. His hand closed around the hilt of the Tessaiga and he felt the power holding him start to fade away.

The houshi was now gaping at him in shock but then he placed Kagome down behind him. Then he used his left hand to grasp his right. "I didn't want to use this but now I see I have little choice." It was then that Inuyasha noticed that the houshi's right hand was covered with cloth and prayer beads, almost as if it was sealed. "Behold the power of the Kazaana!" He undid the prayer beads and opened his hand in Inuyasha's direction.

Immediately, Inuyasha felt a powerful pulling sensation, as everything in the path of the houshi's right hand began to get sucked into what appeared to be a hole, or a void. He felt himself start to slide forward, and realized that he could not allow himself to be pulled in. He could see small bits of rock and dirt disappearing into the hole, and had a feeling that once he was sucked in he would never escape. But he was still unable to move due to the power of the ofuda. Inuyasha could only watch as he was dragged closer to the houshi's hand.

Suddenly, he stopped moving any closer. He could still feel the tug of the Kazaana and see other objects being pulled in but he wasn't getting any closer. Forcing his head to move, Inuyasha was able to see that the Tessaiga, still attached to his side, had gotten wedged into a crack in the cave entrance. Now all he could do was hope that the Tessaiga was stronger than the houshi's Kazaana.

Then his eyes widened as he felt himself regain control of his body. He turned his head just in time to see the ofuda get sucked into the houshi's hand. "Keh" he said as he smirked at the houshi as he brace himself against the winds pulling at him and began to plan a way to get close enough to attack the houshi without getting sucked in himself. A loud rumbling noise pulled him away from those thoughts and he quickly looked up just in time to see the boulders he had eyed earlier tumble down in his direction. Then everything went dark.

* * *

Author runs to hide from the angry readers. Pokes her head out waving a white flag and calling for a truce. If you kill me for the cliffhanger, you won't get to see the next chapter. But I promise that it will be out by tomorrow. I made sure to finish writing it before I posted this chapter. All I have to do is edit it and give it one final read through then it will be up. I know I was evil for ending this chapter where I did but it was the perfect place to end it.

And hey, I did show Miroku like I said I would. I said he would be in this chapter, I didn't say how big an appearance he would have. You will see more of him in the next chapter. And we saw some real Inuyasha/Kagome interaction in this chapter. I mean, they have to fight every once in a while or they wouldn't be who they are. You wouldn't believe how many times this chapter was edited. I actually had part of this chapter and the next written months ago, it was the intervening chapter that I had trouble with. But the down time was good in a way, if I had posted what I had originally wrote this chapter and the next would have been one chapter and the scene at the stream never would have happened. So, when you review tell me what your favorite part about this chapter was. Do you think it works better with their argument and then the scene at the stream?


	29. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

Several of the scenes at the beginning will be things from the last chapter from a new point of view. I know I left the last chapter on a cliffhanger but that will be resolved before the chapter is over.

* * *

A man wandered through the forest, sweat streaming down his face. He was wearing the robes of a Buddhist monk and they only added to his discomfort in the unbearable heat. Raising his eyes to the heavens he asked "Great Buddha, I know you preach patience but is a little relief from this heat too much to ask for?" He sighed and began to trudge forward once more.

Breaking through some foliage, he stopped as he caught sight of a stream just ahead of him. Raising his head once more he offered a prayer in thanks while resolving not to question the Kami again. He gratefully set his staff down beside him as he knelt next to the stream and scooped up some of the refreshingly cool water.

Once he had drank his fill, he cupped his hands together and splashed some of the cool water onto his face. Removing his hands, he sighed as his gaze landed on the cloth and beads covering his right hand. Internally wishing that Buddha would provide as simple a way to deal with his curse as he had the heat, the houshi reached for his staff to be on his way once more.

But before he could move, the sound of nearby splashing made itself known to him. Slowly, the houshi approached the foliage at the bend of the stream, and carefully moved it out of the way. His eyes widened at the sight of a naked young woman bathing in the stream, and a lecherous grin formed on his face. Carefully he stepped away from the foliage to offer up a heartfelt "Thank you great Buddha. You are very kind to this humble servant of yours." That done he went back to his previous position and carefully moved a branch out of the way so that his view was unobstructed.

He immediately felt himself grow hard as he took in the young nubile flesh of the woman currently bathing in the stream. He watched as the water streamed down her flesh. "Oh yes indeed Miroku, Buddha has definitely been kind to you on this day." The lecherous houshi, Miroku, groaned when the young woman turned away to face some boulders. Then he groaned for a different reason as he took in the sight of her near perfect backside. Absently, he noticed that she was speaking to someone on the shore. 'A friend, perhaps?' he wondered. Immediately his thoughts were filled with images of two such delectable females bathing naked. His lecherous grin grew wider, but he was disappointed when whoever was on the shore remained hidden.

His disappointment did not last for long as the young woman in the stream turned around again, apparently satisfied with her companion's answer, as she went back to her bath, her face a brilliant shade of red. Still, Miroku could not help but to be curious about what her companion might look like and what they might have said to make the young woman turn such a delightful shade of red. He leaned forward a bit, trying to gain a better view of the shore. But his movements caused the leaves to rustle and he froze, praying that it had gone unnoticed. When the girl continued her bath, he gave a sigh of relief and began to sit back to enjoy the show. Then the branch he had previously moved out of the way swung back and hit him in the face. He glared at the offending piece of foliage then paused as he noticed that the young woman was now covered by an article of red clothing.

Miroku frowned before his eyes widened. Apparently the girl's companion was not another woman but a man who now stood on top of the boulder that had hidden him from view. But all Miroku could see of the man was the muscled arm and hand that tightly gripped a sword as he apparently looked over the area for whatever had disturbed him. Miroku promptly decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and quietly retrieved his staff and left the area.

As he left the area, he wryly reflected that at least things were looking up.

* * *

His good mood was nowhere in sight the next day. "Really Miroku" he said to himself. "How did you manage to get yourself lost in this wretched forest?" He sighed as he reflected that he was not well suited to traveling in the wilderness. Indeed, he preferred to spend his time traveling from village to village. But he had assumed that cutting through the forest would be a good short cut to the next village and had gotten himself lost. Still, he reflected with a lecherous smile, at least he had the images from the previous day to cheer him up.

He was currently walking along the base of a mountain, hoping he would find a village up ahead where he could secure lodgings for the night. One night of camping out in the forest was more than enough for him. He sighed as he took in the clouds in the distance and prayed he would find that village soon.

A flash of red caught his eye and he turned to see a man carrying something hurriedly checking the nearby area as if looking for something. But the silver hair and dog ears betrayed the man's youkai heritage. Carefully, Miroku reached into his robes and pulled out an ofuda, just in case. But the youkai took no notice of him as it apparently found what it was looking for, an opening in the rock face. Miroku watched as he carefully set down his burden before entering the cave.

With a start, Miroku recognized the face of the girl from the previous day. A grim look settled on his face as he could clearly see, even from that distance, the bruise that adorned her head. He had no doubts about what the youkai's intentions for the girl might be as he noticed the absence of her companion. He had seen the blood coating the youkai's claws and had little doubt of her companion's fate. He offered a quick prayer to Buddha for the girl's companion as he quickly set himself into position near the cave entrance, ofuda at the ready.

A moment later, the youkai began to exit the cave and Miroku struck! He quickly affixed the ofuda to the youkai's shoulder. Satisfied when the ofuda did the job and froze the youkai in its tracks, the houshi slowly walked around and into view. Golden eyes glared out at him as he wagged his finger at the youkai as if rebuking a naughty child and admonished "Now, now. I'm afraid that I can not allow you to carry out your foul intentions for this fair maiden." His eyes landed on the girl and images of the previous day momentarily ran through his mind.

His attention was brought back to the youkai when he heard him growl and saw him trying to force his body to move. Miroku could not help the laugh that escaped him at the sight. "I'm afraid that won't do you any good. My ofuda will keep a foul youkai like yourself contained for a long time. Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery after I see to the girl. I'm sure she'll be grateful to me for saving her." His mind was then filled with images of just what form that gratitude would take. After all, he had saved her and avenged her companion. He quickly forced the images to the back of his mind as he turned his attention to the girl. She would need her wounds seen to before he could carry out any of those ideas.

As he began to reach for the girl he heard the youkai speak. "S-stay...away...from...her!"

His eyes widened in shock, the ofuda should have prevented him from saying a word! He whirled around and was further shocked to see a clawed hand slowly reaching for the hilt of a sword. "That's not possible" he mumbled. Then he noticed the sword give a pulse. Miroku could sense the demonic energy, or youki, coming from the sword and knew it would be a bad idea to let the youkai have a chance to use it. He quickly grabbed the girl and stepped further away from the cave entrance and the youkai currently trapped there. But that only seemed to further enrage the youkai.

He gaped in shock as the youkai managed to grasp the hilt of the demonic sword. He could sense the youki fighting off the spiritual power contained in the ofuda. If nothing was done, the youkai would soon be free. With a grim look on his face Miroku carefully placed the young woman down and stepped in front of her. Grasping the beads on his right hand he told the youkai "I didn't want to use this but now I see I have little choice." He pulled the beads free, uncovering the palm of his right hand and unsealing his curse as he called out "Behold the power of the Kazaana!" He turned his palm to face the trapped youkai and waited for the void in his hand to do its job.

Miroku watched grimly as the cursed hole in his hand began to suck up everything in its path. Rocks and dirt flew into the void and he saw the youkai being pulled forward. Suddenly, the youkai's forward movement stopped though he could tell that the Kazaana was still enforcing its pull. Frowning, he realized that the demonic sword had managed to wedge itself into the rocks and was preventing the youkai from being sucked in. 'Strange, it's almost as if the sword has an awareness and is trying to protect its master.'

Those thoughts were driven from his mind when he noticed that the youkai was suddenly free to move and then he saw the ofuda get sucked into the void. Seeing the smirk on the youkai's face as he braced himself, Miroku knew he had to end things fast. Spotting the boulders above the cave entrance, Miroku marginally shifted the aim of his Kazaana, using its power to pull the rocks free. Once the rocks began to tumble down, he resealed the Kazaana, watching in satisfaction as the youkai was buried in the rock slide.

Miroku waited for several long moments before he was satisfied that the youkai was dealt with. Offering a prayer to Buddha, he turned his attention to the girl. He quickly realized that she was not badly injured and only needed rest. Lifting her up, he contemplated resuming his search for a village before he noticed how close the dark clouds had gotten and heard thunder rumble in the distance. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to find a village in time to avoid the storm, he sighed before turning to face the mountain. Where one cave was located, more were bound to be nearby. He hefted the girl onto his shoulder as he began his search. However, he could not help the hand that attached itself to her rear. 'After all,' he reflected, 'I need to hold her in place somehow.'

* * *

The storm was raging when the pile of rocks began to shift. A clawed hand shoved its way out of its prison. It was soon followed by the rest of its body as Inuyasha clawed his way free from what the houshi had intended as his grave. He heaved a deep breath as he finally dragged himself completely free of the rocks that had buried him. Raising his head, he fixed a golden eyed glare at the heavens as the pouring rain proceeded to instantly soak him.

Looking back at the place that had nearly become his grave he snorted as he saw that the cave entrance was completely blocked. "Feh, not much of a shelter now." His eyes widened as he recalled just why he had been looking for a shelter. "Kagome!" His gaze darted about the area but he could see no sign of the girl or the houshi that had attacked him.

The rain began to ease up as he tried to track where they might have gone but Inuyasha knew it was too late. He cast one last glare at the sky as he futilely tried to find a trace of where he might find where they had gone to but the rain had completely washed away any tracks as well as their scents.

He growled angrily and punched a nearby tree before realizing that the houshi couldn't have gone very far due to the rain. With that epiphany, he quickly set about scouring the area for another cave.

* * *

Kagome groaned as she awoke to a raging headache. Her head was throbbing and her side wasn't much better. She kept her eyes squeezed tight as she reached one hand up to her aching temple. Before it reached its destination, she felt another hand place a damp cloth against her forehead and gasped. Believing it to belong to her hanyou, she tried to force her eyes open while she rasped out "'N'yasha."

She froze when an unfamiliar, male voice answered her. "Easy. You took quite a knock to the head but you'll be alright." She bolted upright and tried to scramble away only to bend over in pain, one hand going to her side while the other clutched at her head.

"Easy, you are safe now. I mean you no harm." The voice soothed her.

Getting the pain under control, she opened her eyes again and took in the sight of the voice's owner. He was a handsome man dressed in the robes of a Buddhist monk, his black hair pulled back and tied at the nape of his neck. He smiled warmly at her as he said "Yes, you're safe now. My name is Miroku. You need not fear any longer. The youkai that attacked you has been dealt with."

Her eyes widened as she recalled her last memories. The bear youkai! Glancing around her surroundings, she realized that they were in a cave lit by a fire. But she didn't see Inuyasha anywhere. She felt her panic start to rise again then felt her hands come into contact with a familiar material. Glancing down she recognized Inuyasha's haori was wrapped around her. 'His haori! But where is he?' Turning to look at the houshi she rasped out "N'yasha, where-?" Her throat was tight both from the pain and worry.

The houshi quickly handed her a canteen. "Here drink this." Gratefully, she did.

Once she had soothed her parched throat she looked at the man beside her. "Thank you houshi-sama. But where are we and where is my friend?"

"Please call me Miroku. If you are referring to the man I saw you with earlier, then I am afraid that he didn't make it. When I encountered you the youkai was carrying you off to its lair." He gave her a sympathetic look. "I am deeply sorry for your loss. But fear not, he has been avenged."

The canteen fell from Kagome's numb fingers as his words sunk in. 'Inuyasha? Dead?' "No" she said shaking her head. "No, he can't be dead, he can't." Her whole body began to shake as tears welled in her eyes. She turned to the houshi once more, desperate hope that he was mistaken filling her.

He shook his head. "The youkai was carrying you with blood covered claws. I doubt there is much left, but if you like, I will help you search for the body once the storm is over so that he may be properly laid to rest."

Kagome just sat there continuing to shake her head. She refused to believe that Inuyasha was dead. Surely that bear youkai was no match for him. Still, she could not help the tears that began to flow down her face as she clutched the haori to her body. No, the houshi had to be wrong.

She stiffened as she felt unfamiliar arms wrap around her and pull her to rest against a strange chest. "Shh. It's alright to feel sadness at the passing of one that you love but he is with the Kami now. Buddha will take care of him." Kagome knew that the houshi, Miroku, was merely trying to comfort her but it felt wrong for him to hold her and she tried to push him away. But he ignored her weak attempts to free herself and continued to hold her to him. 'No this is wrong' she thought as she again tried to push him away. 'He's not Inuyasha.'

Suddenly she gasped as a familiar sensation shot through her body. "Inuyasha!" she cried out and found the strength to free herself from Miroku's hold as her tears dried up. She stumbled to her feet and moved to the cave entrance, haori still clutched in her arms. "He's alive! I can feel him!" The familiar sensation she felt whenever Inuyasha was nearby filled her body.

Behind her she could hear Miroku rise to his feet as well. "I'm afraid you are mistaken. Grief can often make one sense things that aren't there." He approached her and tried to lead her back into the cave. "You must accept that your friend has gone to a better place. He would not want you to suffer for his death."

She turned an irritated look upon him. "You're wrong. I can sense when Inuyasha is nearby and I can feel him now." A flash of white and red caught her attention. "Inuyasha!" she cried as she ran out of the cave.

The rain had let up to a light drizzle that didn't hinder her at all as she ran straight for the figure ahead of her. "Inuyasha!" she cried as she flung herself forward to wrap her arms around his waist.

"Kagome" He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her and then felt her arms wrap around his body, and he allowed his own arm to tighten briefly around her in return. Until he noticed the figure standing in the cave entrance, that is. Stiffening in recognition, he began to growl as he shoved Kagome behind his body. "YOU!" he snarled out as he cracked his knuckles, eager for a chance to pay the houshi back. He kept a wary eye on the houshi's right hand.

In the meantime, Miroku had watched in shock as the girl had run out and embraced the youkai. "He's bewitched her" he murmured. Seeing the youkai turn to face him he tightened his grip on his staff. He couldn't risk using the Kazaana with the girl so close. "Don't fear, fair maiden" he called out to the confused girl standing behind the youkai. "I shall defeat this youkai and break the spell he has put over you."

Kagome could only look between the two in confusion. "What?"

"Keh. Stay here. I owe this bastard a beating." With that Inuyasha unsheathed the Tessaiga and charged forward. "The only thing that's going to get broken are your bones!" he snarled as he swung his sword.

He gaped in shock when the houshi managed to parry the fang with his staff. "He parried the Tessaiga?" He tried again and was again blocked. "You are no ordinary houshi. Who the hell are you, bastard?" He demanded as he leaped back to put some distance between them.

"The name is Miroku, and I am but a humble servant of Buddha. I will not allow you to get away with bewitching that young maiden so that you can use her for your own disgusting pleasures."

Kagome slowly walked up behind Inuyasha. "What are you talking about? I'm not bewitched and Inuyasha's not using me. This is all just some misunderstanding." She still held Inuyasha's haori in her arms.

Miroku shook his head. "He has placed you under his spell. Do not worry, I will break it and free you."

Inuyasha shoved her back behind him when she tried to move in front of him. He glared at her in warning, then spotting his haori in her arms he took it and fastened it around her shoulders to protect her from the damp air. Jerking his head in the direction of the trees he told her "Go wait over there." He growled at her when she opened her mouth to protest and with a sigh she complied. Hopefully they would be able to clear this mess up. She couldn't understand why Miroku-sama, who seemed like a nice guy, was reacting so poorly to Inuyasha. And her aching head was making it hard for her to think things through. Maybe if she waited over here like Inuyasha wanted things would begin to make sense.

Miroku watched as the girl moved to the side. Good, he now had a clear path to use the Kazaana. But still, he could not help but wonder at why the youkai seemed so protective of the girl. Was she right and this was a misunderstanding? His musings were cut short as Inuyasha once again charged forward. Miroku continued to parry and block his blows with his staff. He did not want to have to use the Kazaana if it turned out that this was all a mistake. But then, disaster struck. As he parried another strike, he lost his footing on the muddy ground and fell to the ground, his staff flung away in the fall. He looked up to see the youkai charging at him with a smirk on his face.

"Now I've got you" Inuyasha charged forward, intent on repaying the houshi for burying him in those rocks. But most of all he wanted to make him pay for daring to touch his bitch! His eyes widened as he saw the houshi unwrap the beads from his hand and skidding to a stop he slammed Tessaiga into the ground just as he felt the wind begin to pull at him.

Miroku looked sadly at the youkai clinging to his sword. He really disliked having to use the Kazaana. "How long do you think you can withstand my Kazaana?"

Inuyasha growled as he knelt behind the Tessaiga. He could feel the wind pulling him forward but Tessaiga held strong. Hearing Kagome call his name, he turned his head and yelled "Stay there, don't come any closer."

"Yes, I would advise you to listen to him on this." Miroku found himself forced to agree with Inuyasha. "My Kazaana will pull everything in its path in and once you are sucked in you'll never come out."

Even from where she stood Kagome could feel the force of the wind sucking everything in. Her eyes widened at the houshi's words. 'That hole in his hand, it's like a black hole.' She stared worriedly at Inuyasha. She couldn't understand how this had happened. She gasped when she noticed the Tessaiga cut a groove into the earth as it and Inuyasha were pulled closer to the Kazaana.

"I will give you a chance to surrender. If you give up and release the girl from your spell I will let you go" Miroku offered as he watched Inuyasha try to keep from getting sucked in.

'He's really not a bad guy' Kagome thought as she looked between the two of them. She fought down a spike of anger at the thought that she was under a spell because she was with Inuyasha. Her head had cleared a little and she could understand where the houshi's thoughts were coming from, though she resolved to set things straight as soon as this mess was settled. 'He thought he was saving me, and he's offering to let Inuyasha go, though I know his pride will never let him accept. This is all because of me, there has to be a way to stop it.' Her eyes widened as realization hit. 'He warned me against getting too close, and he thinks this is to save me. If I-' Her thoughts trailed off as a determined look appeared on her face.

In the meanwhile, Inuyasha had snorted at the houshi's offer. "Keh!" He felt himself getting pulled closer. "I'll just slice that Kazaana off of you, arm and all!" he yelled as he felt the Tessaiga pull free from the ground.

"Fool, the Kazaana will suck you in, blade and all" Miroku said as he shook his head sadly. Suddenly his eyes widened in shock as he saw Kagome run out from the trees and throw herself into the path of the Kazaana.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as she threw herself forward just ahead of the hanyou. She prayed that she was right.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha lunged forward, futilely trying to grab a hold of her as she was sucked forward ahead of him. He just missed catching her.

Miroku could only stare as the girl was sucked toward his hand. Snapping out of his shock, he quickly resealed his Kazaana just before the girl reached him, causing her to smack into his body and knock them both to the ground.

Kagome groaned as she slowly lifted her head. She was lying on top of Miroku who was flat on his back on the ground. She slowly sat up as Inuyasha stomped over to her.

"Kagome, tell me you did not just leap into that on purpose!" He growled the words out as he glared down at her.

Kagome gulped at the look in his eyes. "Look, this is all a misunderstanding. I'm sure if we could just sit down and talk things out we could clear everything up. Miroku-sama isn't really a bad guy-" She trailed off as she felt a hand suddenly grasp her rear and start to rub. With a shriek she launched herself backwards, right into Inuyasha's grasp as he stepped forward and leveled the Tessaiga against Miroku's throat.

Inuyasha set one foot on the houshi's chest to keep him pinned as he turned his attention to the girl clinging to his arm. "You didn't answer my question, bitch. Did you deliberately put yourself in harm's way when I specifically told you to stay away?"

Kagome gulped at his question. "I knew that he wouldn't allow me to be sucked into that hole, not if he thought he was saving me. I just needed a way to make you two stop fighting long enough to clear everything up."

"Damn it bitch! What have I told you about putting yourself in danger? And you disobeyed me to do it!" He glared at her as she fidgeted.

"Excuse me but do you think you could save your little spat for a time when you aren't holding a sword to my throat?" Miroku gulped as the glare was redirected at him. "Then again, by all means, carry on."

Inuyasha growled down at the houshi below him as he pressed the point of Tessaiga into his throat just short of drawing blood. "You dared to lay your hands on **my bitch**?" He froze as something else came to his attention. Sniffing, his growl deepened as he recognized the scent. "**You!** You were the one spying on Kagome yesterday! I'm going to claw your eyes out."

Kagome flushed but couldn't help the rush of pleasure she felt when Inuyasha referred to her so possessively. Still, she knew she couldn't let this continue. Even the embarrassment at knowing that Miroku had seen her naked wasn't enough to stop her. "Inuyasha stop, please. I'm sure we can discuss this calmly and rationally. I'm sure Miroku-sama would agree not to attack if you let him up so we could clear up this misunderstanding. Right, Miroku-sama?" she asked as she looked down at the houshi.

Miroku carefully nodded his head, all too aware of the sword point pressing into his neck, as he was quick to agree. "Of course Kagome-sama. I promise to be on my best behavior." At her surprised look he stated "That is your name, is it not? I could not help but overhear your companion refer to you by it."

Inuyasha continued to glare at him for a moment before finally giving in to Kagome's pleading look. Stepping back, he sheathed the Tessaiga and folded his arms over his chest as he warned "I'm watching you bouzu, you better not try anything." Shifting his gaze to Kagome he added "And don't think I'm done with you either. I'll deal with you later."

Kagome gulped at his tone of voice but said nothing.

In the mean time, Miroku had risen to his feet and was dusting his robes off. Satisfied, he turned to face the hanyou and bowed. At Inuyasha's shocked look he spoke up. "I am deeply sorry for attacking you. I jumped to conclusions and acted without confirming the situation, and for that you have my most sincere apologies."

Inuyasha could only gape at him in shock. A houshi was apologizing for attacking him, a hanyou? Had hell frozen over?

Miroku smirked lightly at the look on his face. "Please don't be so surprised. I can admit when I am mistaken. And regardless of how the situation had looked, I should have investigated further before acting."

"Keh. What was there to investigate? You saw me, a hanyou, carrying an unconscious **human** woman. Of course you jumped to that conclusion, just like anybody else would." Inuyasha huffed bitterly. "You figured that I'm an evil monster that couldn't possibly have any good intentions."

"Yes, and that was wrong of me. I, of all people, should have known better. One of my oldest friends happens to be a Tanuki, so I know that just because one is of youkai heritage does not mean that one is evil." He then turned to regard Kagome. "And I apologize to you as well. You tried to correct me earlier, and in my arrogance I assumed that you had been bewitched." He bowed to her as well.

Kagome blushed as she tried to wave off his apologies. Her earlier thoughts of berating him for jumping to conclusions just because Inuyasha was a hanyou were forgotten when he apologized so sincerely. "Please Miroku-sama, it's alright. Let's just forget about it, okay?" A thought occurred to her and she asked "But I am curious about your-what did you call it? Kazaana?"

He sighed as he regarded his sealed hand. "Yes, the Kazaana. My curse." At their looks he gestured back to the cave. "It is a bit of a story. Perhaps we would be more comfortable inside?"

Inuyasha eyed him warily for a moment before complying. Keeping Kagome close to him, he followed the houshi into the cave and sat on the opposite side of the fire.

Miroku poked at the fire to rekindle it, then seeing the impatient expression on the hanyou's face he sighed and began. Raising his right arm, he showed them the sealed Kazaana. "You see, this bottomless void in my hand is the result of a curse by a strong youkai named Naraku." Kagome frowned at the name. For some reason it sounded familiar though she couldn't remember where she had heard it.

"The story starts nearly fifty years ago with my grandfather. He was a strong houshi in his youth. He encountered Naraku at some point, and their battle spanned for several years. But each time that they met, Naraku stole the form of a different mortal, for he was a shape-shifter. But in their final confrontation, Naraku assumed the form of a beautiful woman. My grandfather possessed incredible spiritual powers but he was also, well-"

"Keh! He was a lecher too, wasn't he?" Inuyasha interrupted with a snort as he glared at the houshi.

Miroku laughed nervously before agreeing. "I guess you could put it that way. When my grandfather lowered his guard, Naraku struck. He pierced my grandfather's hand, straight through his sealing scroll. As he left, he told my grandfather that this curse would eventually swallow him whole, and would be passed down through my family until either Naraku is defeated or my family line is extinguished." He sighed again as he stared at his covered hand. "I have possessed this void since I was ten and my father was consumed by the hole in his own palm. Every year the void grows wider and the winds stronger. I have made it my life's goal to defeat Naraku and end this curse. If I cannot defeat Naraku, then in a few years I will suffer the same fate." Clenching his fist tightly he rose and slowly walked around the fire to kneel before Kagome as Inuyasha warily watched with a warning growl.

"And that leads me to my second goal. If I cannot defeat Naraku, then I must leave behind an heir to carry on my work." Miroku reached out and took the confused Kagome's hands into his own. "And so I must ask this request of you. Kagome-sama, would you do me the honor of bearing my child?"

Kagome could only gape at him in shock before she was roughly pulled behind an enraged hanyou. Inuyasha quickly shoved the houshi away from them with a snarl. "Oi! What the hell do you think you are doing? If you ever lay a hand on Kagome again I'll-"

"My apologies. I did not realize that you two were together."

"Keh. I protect Kagome. She's **my** responsibility." Inuyasha continued to glare at the houshi. "You will stay away from her."

"Of course, but if you are merely her protector then isn't it up to her to decide?" At Inuyasha's snarl Miroku raised his hands in surrender and backed away.

"Keh! Come on wench, it's time for us to go. We'll find another camp for the night."

Kagome absently wished Miroku luck with his quest before retrieving her belongings and allowing Inuyasha to pull her out of the cave. Her mind was to busy pondering his words to argue. 'His responsibility? Inuyasha, is that all that I mean to you?'

* * *

Wow. I think that this was the longest chapter yet. Please let me know what you think. I'm not too sure about the ending on this one. Don't worry, we'll see Miroku again. If you recall, they did go their separate ways in canon before joining together. And I know that people are getting tired of Kagome being confused and doubtful of Inuyasha's feelings. That will all be cleared up in the next chapter and she won't doubt Inuyasha again. But that doesn't mean that she won't sometimes feel like a burden. Remember, she's hundreds of years in the past, away from anything familiar, and unlike in the series, she can't go home whenever things get too difficult. Inuyasha is really the only one that she knows and trusts, and she knows that she can't survive in that era without him. But she also realizes that a lot of the problems he is facing are caused by her. For example, the baboon-man is trying to kill her, not Inuyasha. So she will at times blame herself for being a burden.


	30. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

Just to let you know I'm not planning to re-write every little thing from canon. I will be following the manga as an outline but things will change. However, I do plan to keep some things from canon. Therefore, there might be times that I make mention of events from canon without actually showing them in my story. For example, in this chapter Miroku will have discovered the field of warriors before encountering the princess like he did in the chapter dealing with the ink-painter, but I will not be showing it. As for how the ink-painter comes into the story without a shard, you'll just have to read to find out.

* * *

Inuyasha huffed as he cast another look at his companion. She had been oddly silent since they had left the houshi the night before. She hadn't even put up much of an argument when he had berated her for putting herself in danger. His ears drooped as he wondered if she had wanted to stay with the bouzu after all. Thinking about the meeting with the houshi, he couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't let him hit him a few times for groping her, not to mention spying on her. And she hadn't voiced any objections when the bouzu asked her to bear his child. Then again he hadn't really given her a chance to say anything. She wouldn't have accepted, right? He thought about it for a moment longer then he shook his head and snorted. No, he was pretty sure that wasn't what the problem was. But damned if he could figure her out. Well there was only one thing to do about it in his opinion. He glanced at her again and growled.

"Alright wench. What's your problem?"

Kagome looked up at him startled. "Huh?"

"Keh! You've been quiet since we left the cave last night. Normally you don't shut up. So again, what's your problem?"

Kagome flushed at his words. 'Was that really how he thought of her? A troublesome girl who never shut up?' She felt her heart sink a little more. "Nothing's wrong Inuyasha, I've just been thinking."

"Feh. I think I prefer when you're too busy talking. I don't like the type of stupid ideas you come up with when you think." He snorted as he recalled her last 'brilliant' idea to let herself be sucked into the Kazaana.

Kagome couldn't take any more. "So now I'm stupid?" she asked, eyes downcast as her fists clenched at her sides. All day she had been contemplating his words and arguing with herself. She was so confused. One moment he would call her his bitch and act like he cared, the next she was merely his responsibility, a burden. And now he was adding that she was stupid.

Inuyasha flinched at her tone of voice. "Feh. I'm just saying you come up with the stupidest ideas ever." He winced, that didn't come out right. He tried again. "Like allowing yourself to be sucked in last night."

Kagome's head shot up at his words and she glared at him. Did he really have to keep bringing that up? "I was trying to save your life, Baka! And it worked. You were the one who wanted to fight when everything could have been settled by talking things out. Miroku-sama ended up being very reasonable. And I knew that he wouldn't allow me to be sucked in." 'At least I was pretty sure, and I ended up being right' she thought.

Inuyasha stiffened at her words as his ears flattened on top of his head. "KEH! Miroku-sama, hah! If you think that bouzu is so great, then why didn't you stay with him? I'm sure the lecher would have been thrilled with the idea. If you hurry, I'm sure you can still catch him!" He turned his back and crossed his arms, tucking them into the sleeves of his haori. He tried to ignore the pain in his chest. Why would she want to stay with him when she could be with the bouzu. He was obviously powerful and able to protect her, not to mention human.

Kagome froze in shock. 'Is he saying that he doesn't want me around, that he would have preferred to leave me behind with Miroku-sama?' Tears began to well in her eyes as she struggled to keep them from falling.

Inuyasha winced when the scent of her tears hit him. Despite his own hurt, he could never stand to be the source of her tears. Turning slowly, he confirmed what his nose was telling him when he took in the sight of tears in her eyes. "Kagome" he said softly as he reached one hand out in her direction.

But she flinched away from him and turned her back. Unable to stop the tears from flowing, she refused to let him see them fall. "Go ahead" she told him. "Tell me how stupid I am. How much of a burden I am. Tell me that you wish you weren't stuck with me and how you want me to leave." She took a deep breath and tried to brace herself for the words she was sure were coming.

Inuyasha could only gape at her back. "What the hell?" Reaching out, he gripped her shoulder and spun her around to face him. "What the fuck are you talking about bitch?"

"Stop calling me that!"

Inuyasha flinched. 'S-she doesn't want me to call her a bitch anymore?' His ears drooped again. 'Maybe she really did change her mind about being with me after all.' However, her next words dispelled that idea while further confusing him.

Covering her face with her hands she continued. "Don't call me a bitch when you don't mean it. When you don't really want me!" She broke off as she began to sob into her hands.

'What the hell is she talking about?' Inuyasha could only stare at her shaking body as he tried to figure out just what the hell was going on and where she had gotten **that** idea from. "Oi, don't cry. You know I can't stand to see you cry." But that only made her cry harder.

After another moment of trying to figure out what was going on, he reached out and pulled her to rest against his chest. Ignoring the way she had stiffened against him, he wrapped his arms around her while dropping his head to rest his chin on top of her head. "Shh, it's okay. I'm not going anywhere." He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her arms hesitantly wrap around his waist in return.

When he felt Kagome's sobs begin to calm he glanced around the area for a better spot to finish their discussion in. He didn't like the idea of being caught distracted on the ground. Shifting his grip on Kagome, he leaped high into one of the nearby trees and, ignoring her shocked intake of breath, settled down on one of the branches with her sitting in his lap.

Kagome was shocked at his actions. Why was he comforting her? And why had he just brought her up on a tree branch? Hands tightly clenching his haori she asked "Inuyasha?"

"Keh. I think we need to have a long discussion about what you just said. And it's safer up here than down on the ground."

"What's there to talk about? You think I'm a burden and don't want me around anymore." She refused to meet his gaze as she said it. Then a clawed hand clasped her chin and gently, but firmly lifted her head to meet a pair of intense golden eyes.

"That is what we have to talk about" he growled out. "Where the hell did you get the idea that I don't want you around?"

She gave him a confused look. "Back when Miroku-sama asked if we were together, you told him that I was your responsibility. And before we left Kaede's you were acting like you didn't want me to come along. You wanted to leave me behind. And just now, you were practically telling me to leave."

"Baka! I didn't want to leave you behind, I just wanted to keep you safe." He took a deep breath before forcing himself to admit "I wanted you with me more than anything but I was willing to leave you behind if I thought you would be safer and happier."

Kagome stared at him. "But you were saying that I'm loud and stupid, and you've been avoiding me since we started this journey, sleeping in trees instead of holding me, and you haven't kissed me in even longer and-"

Inuyasha cut her off by leaning forward and covering her lips with his own. He sighed when he felt her practically melt against him. She was right about one thing, it had been too long. When they eventually broke apart, both were panting for air. He leaned his forehead forward to rest against hers.

"Stupid bitch" he muttered with amusement. "This is why you shouldn't think. You get the stupidest ideas into your head when you do." He tightened his arms around her when he felt her stiffen at his words. "I said that your ideas are stupid, not you. And I've been staying in trees in order to guard you. It's too dangerous right now with so many youkai trying to kill you. I would prefer to hold you at night but I know I would relax too much and let down my guard, leaving us vulnerable to an attack. As for why I haven't kissed you-" He sighed. "Back in the village, the humans were still getting used to me being around. I didn't want to create a scene like what happened at Hisao's village if they saw us kissing. And since we left the village I've been more concerned with trying to track down this baboon-man. I never meant to make you feel like I don't want you. I thought we had settled that fear when I explained what a bitch meant to me." He smirked at her a bit.

"But why did you tell Miroku-sama that I was merely your responsibility?" Kagome wasn't quite ready to let the subject drop. She still felt that she was being a burden to him.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and sighed. "Feh. You should know by now that I'm not good with words. You have to look at my actions." He emphasized his point by tightening his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. "I don't own anything but the clothes on my back and the Tessaiga. The only thing I have to offer you is my protection. I vowed to protect you and I will keep that promise. So you see, you are my responsibility because I am responsible for keeping you safe. Because I **want** to keep you safe. There is nothing more important to me than that."

Kagome simply stared at him as his words made everything click into place. "Oh" she said softly. "Then you don't think I'm a burden? You don't blame me for having to be out here, being attacked by youkai while you search for this elusive baboon-man?"

"No, I don't think of you as a burden and never meant to make you think I did. I like protecting you. And as for being attacked by youkai, they would attack me anyway if not for this reason, then because I am a hanyou." He sighed. "Are we good now?"

"Yes, we're good" she conceded.

"Feh." He briefly tightened his arms around her. "Don't doubt me Kagome. No matter what stupid stuff I might say, my feelings aren't going to change."

She hugged him back. "I promise Inuyasha. I'm sorry I doubted you but it won't happen again."

"Good." With that, he dropped out of the tree. "Now let's get going. We've got a cowardly bastard to find."

Kagome smiled at him as she took his hand and allowed him to lead her further into the forest.

* * *

Several days later they were no closer to their goal and Inuyasha's temper was beginning to fray again. "Damn it!" he cursed. There had been no sign of the baboon-man. They hadn't even been attacked since they left the houshi days before and Inuyasha was feeling restless.

Kagome sighed. It had been nearly five days since they had last encountered any youkai. She didn't think that Inuyasha's plan was going to work. How can you get information when there was no one to get the information from? She had an idea of another way to learn more about the baboon-man but she didn't think that Inuyasha would like it.

Inuyasha turned to face her when he heard her sigh. Seeing the contemplative look on her face he called out. "Oi!" Once he had her attention, he said "Alright wench, let's hear it."

Kagome blushed at the fact that he was able to read her so easily. "I was just thinking-" She glared at him when he snorted and mumbled something about it being a dangerous thing to do. "As I was saying, I was just thinking that we haven't seen any youkai in days. We can't learn anything about the baboon-man if there's no one around to get the information from. But I thought of another way we might be able to learn more."

Inuyasha scowled at being reminded of the lack of attacks. But he raised an eyebrow at her suggestion that there might be another way. "And?"

Kagome took a deep breath before continuing. "As we haven't been able to learn anything from the youkai, maybe we can learn something from the humans. I'm sure that anybody in the nearby villages would have noticed if there was a strange youkai around or if the youkai in the area have been acting strangely. They might have seen or heard of the baboon-man. We could try stopping at a village and asking."

Inuyasha could only gape at her. After a moment he shook his head before fixing her with an intense look. "Let me get this straight. You want to go to a village and ask if they have seen any strange youkai around." At her hesitant nod, he exploded. "Have you lost your fucking mind?"

Kagome was taken aback by his outburst but he wasn't done yet. "If we go into a village and ask if there have been any strange youkai around recently they'll answer yes and point at me, right before they attack! And if you think I'm going to let you go into a strange village by yourself, then you really are crazy!" He glared at her. "That was your stupidest idea yet!"

Kagome flinched back at his tone. She had known that he wouldn't be happy but she didn't think he would react so badly. "There's no need to yell like that. It was just a suggestion."

"Keh! A stupid suggestion. I told you before, you need to stop thinking. You come up with the stupidest ideas when you think." He turned away as something else caught his attention.

But now Kagome felt her own temper rise. "Yeah? Well something's got to be done! We can't just keep wandering around like we have-"

She was cut off as Inuyasha pulled her to his side and covered her mouth. "Shh!"

Kagome glared at him until she realized how alert he had become. Then she went still. When he released her she reached for her bow as she asked "What is it?"

Inuyasha continued to look around, ears flicking as he listened. "I'm not sure." His nose wrinkled. Whatever was out there smelled really awful! And for some reason it reminded him of ink.

Suddenly a large oni lumbered out of the trees ahead of them. It eyed them before grinning hungrily. "You! I've found you!" It started forward again. "Now Die!" It swung it's spear.

"Keh! Nice try!" Inuyasha called as he leaped back before depositing Kagome on the ground. "My turn!" He unsheathed the Tessaiga and leaped forward. Swinging the Tessaiga, he easily sliced off the arm holding the spear, only to gag at the stench of the black liquid that spurted out and covered him. "Gah!" he cried as the scent made him dizzy. But he ignored the smell to the best of his ability when the oni gave a roar of pain and outrage and swung with its uninjured arm. Barely managing to dodge, Inuyasha struck with the Tessaiga again, this time separating the head from the oni's body. As the body started to topple it suddenly turned into the same black liquid and drenched the unsuspecting hanyou.

Unable to take the stench any longer, Inuyasha succumbed to the stench and passed out.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as she saw him fall. She hurried to his side and made a face at the mess covering him. "That's not blood" she said as she stared at the black liquid. Carefully touching it with one finger, she rubbed before smelling the substance. "Ink?" she wondered. Turning her attention to her companion, she sighed. He needed a bath.

A short time later a freshly washed Inuyasha was conscious again and glaring at her. "What?" she asked innocently. "You were filthy and needed a bath. You're just lucky the stream was close by."

Inuyasha continued to glare at her. He had been awakened from his untimely 'nap' when Kagome had shoved him into a stream. He had spluttered to the surface only to have her toss him the soap and tell him he needed a bath. He had grumbled and complied but now glared at her as he tried to ring his clothing dry. Seeing the amused look on her face, he smirked as an idea came to him.

Kagome shrieked as Inuyasha suddenly dropped to all fours and shook, sending water flying in every direction. "Inuyasha!" she scolded as she wiped water from her face.

It was his turn to look at her innocently as he replied "What? I'm dry now." But the amused glint in his eyes and the smirk on his face gave him away.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him but let the subject drop as grabbed a cloth from her bag and dried off. "There was something strange about that attack, wasn't there?"

"You noticed it too?" He asked, serious now.

She nodded. "Something about that oni just didn't feel right to me. But I don't know what it was. And when you killed it, it turned into that black liquid."

"I'm not sure either." He reluctantly admitted. "But that liquid stunk of ink and blood. Its fumes completely overloaded my senses. I don't think that was a real oni."

Kagome bit her lip. "Do you think it was sent by the baboon-man."

"Probably." Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "But now we have a clue. I can track the stink of the ink. Come on, let's go." Pulling her onto his back he took off through the forest, pausing now and again to check for the scent.

It led them out of the forest and to a nearby field. Kagome gasped as she slid off Inuyasha's back. The bodies of a large number of samurai littered the ground.

Inuyasha pulled her back when she got too close. "This isn't right" he mumbled as he stared at the bodies. "There's no blood and the scent of that ink lingers in the air here."

Kagome gulped. "Inuyasha, I don't think this was the work of that one oni. I think there are more of those creatures out there."

He sighed as he looked over the carnage. 'Why are all of their livers gone?' he wondered. "I think you're right. Come on, there's nothing we can do for them now. We'll let the people at the next village know so they can give them a proper burial."

Kagome looked at him in shock. "Inuyasha, are you actually suggesting that we stop at a village?"

"Keh." He pointed in the distance where they could just make out the top of a shiro, probably belonging to the local daimyo. They could see smoke rising from the area. "I have a feeling that the scent is going to lead us there." With that they set off.

Inuyasha was right, the scent of the ink did eventually lead them to the shiro. Though, they had stopped several times when he caught the scent of ink, leading Inuyasha to investigate various travelers, much to Kagome's dismay. Though one of the men he stopped did seem to be behind it as he pulled out a drawing that came to life and attacked them, allowing him to escape.

_Flashback_

_Inuyasha had just grabbed another peasant for the seventh time since leaving the dead bodies behind. Kagome rolled her eyes as she moved to get him to release the man but his words stopped her. "You. Why don't you tell me why you reek of ink and human blood and liver?" He glared at the man._

_The man's beady eyes shifted this way and that as he cried. "Aah! I am a simple painter. Let me go!" He pulled his arm out of Inuyasha's grasp and started to run away._

_Inuyasha moved after him. "Keh! You won't get away that easily."_

_The painter came to a stop as Inuyasha leaped in front of him. His eyes widened. "You! No you should be dead by now" he said as he glanced between Inuyasha and Kagome. "I won't let you stop me. I will fulfill my dreams!" he cried, reaching into his shirt and pulling out a piece of parchment. As it unrolled, the painting on it came to life. The large oni lumbered towards them as the painter took his chance to run away._

"_Feh. Weakling like this won't take me long to finish off" Inuyasha said as he unsheathed Tessaiga and dodged a swing from the oni._

_Kagome stared after the man. 'He didn't feel like a youkai. So how did he make this one appear? Something strange is going on.' She watched as Inuyasha dodged the oni's strikes before preparing to swing the Tessaiga. Her eyes widened with realization. "Inuyasha, wait-"_

_She was too late. Inuyasha struck with the Tessaiga and the oni turned to ink, which splattered everywhere. Kagome flung her arms up in a vain attempt to protect herself. She was surprised when she didn't feel anything touch her. A moment later, she heard Inuyasha groan and lowered her arms to see that she had unintentionally made a barrier that protected her from the ink. Too bad for Inuyasha, he was outside of the barrier and was now covered in ink again. She sighed as she released the barrier and began looking for a nearby source of water. Inuyasha would need another bath before they could go after the painter._

_End Flashback_

They had followed him to the fortress but lost him. But once they finally reached the shiro they were surprised to discover a familiar face.

They had entered the outer gates wondering at the lack of guards. They could see that the fortress had suffered damage recently, possibly in a youkai attack. As they passed an open door they heard a familiar voice say "indeed, the princess would undoubtedly be safer if she were to stay here with me, here in the same room. Sharing the same bedding."

Turning to look they spotted Miroku sitting next to a beautiful woman of obviously noble heritage while addressing a noble man. Inuyasha couldn't help himself. "Keh! He's at it again! And I suppose you'll need to search her robes while you're at too, you lecher!"

Miroku was startled to see Inuyasha and Kagome outside and felt an eyebrow twitch at the hanyou's words. "Inuyasha, Kagome-sama, what brings you here?"

"Miroku-sama, have any youkai made of ink attacked? We tracked the one responsible for it here?" She ignored the way the guards had reacted at the sight of Inuyasha as she asked her question.

An explanation followed and a short time later the three of them were settled in a room. Miroku lamented the fact that the daimyo had decided the princess was safer alone in her own room while Inuyasha kept a wary eye on the houshi's roaming hand.

Kagome continued the explanation. "Yes, so it seems that the artist has some way to bring his paintings to life. I don't know how he gained the power but he is obviously using it for the wrong purposes. And he was definitely human not youkai."

"Indeed, there are much better ways such a skill could be utilized." Miroku agreed with a lecherous smirk. "But why does this concern you? I did not think that Inuyasha was the type to involve himself in things that didn't concern him."

Inuyasha bristled at the houshi's words. "Keh! Not that it's any of your business, bouzu, but one of the fool's creations attacked us, specifically. I want to find out why and what the creep knows."

Kagome elaborated further. "We are currently looking for information about someone, most likely a youkai, that has been described as a baboon-man. We were told he could be found in the northwest. The only description we have is that he covers himself with the pelt of a baboon."

"Interesting" Miroku remarked. "And what exactly is your interest in this baboon-man?"

"Keh! He wants Kagome dead and has been sending loads of lower level youkai to do it. I'm taking the fight to the bastard! Gonna make the coward pay for threatening Kagome!"

"We think he may be behind the artist's sudden ability to bring his paintings to life" Kagome added.

"I see" Miroku said as he lifted his hand to his chin in thought. "But why is this baboon-man after Kagome-sama. Besides her beauty, of course."

Kagome looked to Inuyasha, unsure of just how much they should share with the houshi. But he was standing near the door, sniffing. "Inuyasha?"

"I smell it again. That mix of ink and blood." He growled and bounded out the door. Kagome and Miroku quickly followed him.

They took in the sight of a hoard of youkai swarming in the courtyard. A scream pierced the air, and they turned to see the princess being pulled into a chariot. The youkai and chariot took off into the sky before they could stop it.

"Excuse me" Miroku said, then he ran off, grabbing a nearby horse and swing himself into its saddle before setting off after the youkai.

"Keh. Come on, that painter's involved in this and I want some answers." He pulled Kagome onto his back and swiftly headed after Miroku and the youkai, easily catching up with the houshi.

A short time later they arrived outside of a small hut. "What are we waiting for?" Kagome asked. The youkai had beaten them there. "Who knows what could be happening to the princess while we stand around outside."

"Relax, Kagome-sama. I was afraid of something like this happening, so I took some precautions and utilized the help of an old friend." As he spoke there came the sounds of yelling and crashes from the hut before a tanuki ran out of the door. He was followed by a large number of ink youkai.

"Miroku-sama! Save me" he cried as he ran towards them.

"Feh, you had the tanuki take the princess' place. Not bad bouzu." He unsheathed the Tessaiga and prepared to face the oncoming swarm of oni.

"Inuyasha, they are paintings, made from ink. If you destroy them they'll just turn back into ink. It's the painter that we have to stop" Kagome warned him.

"Keh, I know that. But we have to go through them to get to him" he retorted.

Kagome groaned. She was going to have to give him another bath after this, she just knew it. "Just try not to get any of the ink on me" she pleaded as she drew an arrow and notched it on her bow.

"Perhaps you should stand back Kagome-sama and allow us to deal with this" Miroku offered. "I would hate to see you get hurt and a battle is no place for a lady such as yourself."

Kagome gave him an odd look as Inuyasha snorted. "Feh, she can take care of herself. Besides, she stays with me, where I can protect her."

Miroku opened his mouth to say something else but it was too late. The youkai had reached them. The tanuki ran past them while they each readied their weapons.

Inuyasha pulled Kagome onto his back and leaped forward, swinging the Tessaiga. He easily defeated the first few youkai, and managed to steer clear of the ink when they dissolved. But the fumes were quickly getting to him, and he landed on the ground trying to clear his head. An oni tried to strike at them but Miroku sent his staff through it before stepping in front of them.

"Do not worry, I will handle this. Kazaana!" Miroku unsealed his hand and began to suck the oni in.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Miroku-sama! Look out behind you!" She quickly fired an arrow at the oni that hid been sneaking up behind him.

It was Miroku's turn to be surprised as he took in the sight of the glowing arrow that quickly dissolved the oni. Not even any ink was left behind. He gazed appraisingly at Kagome. He had been unaware that she was a miko. "My thanks, Kagome-sama."

"You! You stole my oni! You ruined my plans! The princess was supposed to be mine! He promised me!" Their gazes fell on the painter as he stood in the doorway of the hut, ranting at them.

"Who promised you?" Miroku asked. He frowned as he took in the sight of the container of ink strapped to the painter's back. He could sense something magical about it, something familiar.

"The man in the baboon pelt. He gave me the ink I use to bring my drawings to life. He said it would fulfill my dreams. All I had to do was kill a troublesome miko." He glared at Kagome. "You're supposed to be dead not here ruining all of my plans. My oni was supposed to kill you."

"Keh! I protect Kagome and it'll take more than your pitiful, weak drawings to beat me!"

"Pitiful! Weak! I'll show you!" The painter unleashed another scroll, sending a hoard of oni at them before releasing a dragon and climbing on its back. "See how you like these, some of my finest work!" he called as the dragon took to the sky.

"Keh! You won't get away that easily." Inuyasha leaped after him, straight through the hoard of oni.

Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha! If you cut them down you'll be knocked out by the ink again!"

"Out of my way!" Inuyasha yelled as he punched his way through the oni. "That bouzu's not the only one who can show off."

Kagome gave Miroku a sheepish look. "I think he means 'thanks but I'll handle it from here.'" She watched as Inuyasha merely used his fists to clear a path through the oni before leaping up onto the tail of the dragon.

The painter gave him a startled, frightened look. "What's the matter? You all out of oni?" Inuyasha taunted him as he cracked his knuckles. "You are going to tell me everything you know about the baboon-man."

Miroku sighed. "Well that's it, he has him cornered now."

Kagome glanced at him before turning her eyes back up to the confrontation in the sky. "But he can't use his sword or he'll be knocked out by the ink" she pointed out.

Miroku waved her off. "At that distance, he should easily be able to slice through the painter's neck without hitting the dragon."

Kagome gave him an uneasy look at his words. She knew that Inuyasha disliked killing humans, and only did it when he had no other choice. Like with those bandits that had captured her. Besides, they needed to get information from the painter.

Miroku caught her uneasy look. "Perhaps you shouldn't watch Kagome-sama. Something like this is not meant for your delicate eyes."

She glared at him before turning her attention back to the sky. "Inuyasha" she whispered.

The painter was in the meantime glaring at Inuyasha as he slowly approached up the dragon's back. "You fool! Have you forgotten, I painted this monster!" The dragon turned its head and shot out a large flame directly at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha cursed and lifted his arms to protect his face. He heard Kagome scream his name from below and growled.

The painter was laughing. "Not even your bones will be left by the fires of hell!" He continued to laugh until he felt a clawed hand grab hold of his arm. "No, impossible! You should be dead!" He stared in horror at Inuyasha, surrounded by flames.

On the ground Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. But Miroku could only stare in disbelief. "H-he is on fire. But he is unaffected." He gaped at the sight.

"The fire-rat haori" Kagome breathed, recalling how it had saved her life in a similar situation.

"Give up" Inuyasha growled as he unsheathed the Tessaiga and dispelled the flames. "Do you think I'd let myself be beaten by a human? Especially one as weak and pathetic as you?" He leveled the sword at the painter.

"W-wait. Spare my life, please." The painter begged as he tried to crawl backwards away from Inuyasha.

"Start talking. What do you know about the baboon-man?" Inuyasha growled.

"I don't know much. He appeared to me one day after I had been thrown out of the shiro. I was vowing that I would have my revenge and that the princess would be mine, when he appeared out of nowhere. He told me he could help me get my vengeance and fulfill my dreams. He gave my this ink" he held out the container to Inuyasha "and told me it would bring my paintings to life. With that I could bring my dreams to fruition. But the only way to power the ink was to feed it blood and fresh liver. So I ambushed travelers on the road and harvested their blood and liver, feeding it to the ink and my oni. The baboon-man said all I had to do in return for his gift was kill the miko." He whimpered in fear.

"Why does he want her dead? Where can I find him?"

"I don't know. He only said that she had caused him a lot of trouble. Please! I only saw him the one time! Please spare me" he cried. He held out the container of ink. "Here, take this. Without it I will no longer be able to bring my drawings to life. I will be a regular man. Please!"

"Feh. The monster who took dozens of innocent lives to gain power, is begging for his own?" Inuyasha stared disgustedly at the pitiful man before sheathing the Tessaiga. "Feh."

Miroku stared up at him in shock. 'He's going to let him go? He's not going to kill him?' The more he learned about the hanyou, the more questions he had.

Inuyasha started to turn away when a laugh from the painter caught his attention. "You fool!" Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his leg as the dragon clamped down on it. He punched it in the head to make it release him then leaped away.

The dragon fell to the ground and the painter clambered to his feet before trying to run. "No, you're not gonna get away." Inuyasha drew the Tessaiga and slashed as he ran after the painter, easily dispatching the dragon and getting clear before the ink could affect him.

The painter continued to run, panic fueling his legs. He clutched the container of ink to his chest. If he could just escape, he would be able to have his revenge. Hearing the hanyou gain on him he clutched the container even tighter. Suddenly he heard a crack. He looked down in time to see the container shatter, the ink bursting forth to cover him. He fell to the ground, feeling the ink start to spread over his body. "Help me" he cried, reaching one hand out to the approaching hanyou.

Inuyasha cursed and grabbed the painter's hand, trying to pull him free. But he was too late, and the painter's body dissolved into the ink leaving only the hand in his grasp which he dropped to the ground. "What a fool." Inuyasha shook his head as he stepped back and regarded the ink staining the ground. He turned his head to see Kagome and Miroku approaching.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome ran to his side glad to see that he was unhurt. She gasped as she saw what remained of the painter. "What a horrible way to die."

"Keh. I don't know what was in that ink but it hungered for blood and liver. It devoured the painter to get it." He shook his head. "A fitting end for him, revenge for those whose blood he spilled."

Kagome noticed a piece of parchment on the ground and picked it up. "He was trying to paint the princess" she said as she looked at it sadly.

Miroku stepped up to stare at the ink-stained ground. "What a fool. How can one paint such purity with such tainted ink?" He shook his head sadly before regarding the ink seriously. There was something familiar about that energy. He could feel the taint from it and dared not touch it. It would take a long time and many prayers to purify this area. He sadly shook his head as he thought about it.

Kagome stepped forward with her bow and drew an arrow. "We can't just leave this puddle of ink here. Who knows what trouble it could cause if it fell into the wrong hands." She released the arrow and the purifying energy accompanying it swiftly dissolved the ink into nothingness.

Miroku regarded her for a moment. Such power! She was able to completely purify the ink with just one arrow. He looked between her and the spot the ink had been before turning and offering a brief prayer to Buddha for the departed soul of the painter.

"Feh. What are praying over him for?"

"For the dead there is neither good nor evil. All that remains is the mercy of Buddha" Miroku responded.

"Mercy? Feh. I swear I'll never understand you humans." Inuyasha turned away and crossed his arms.

"I think you understand better than you want to admit, Inuyasha." When the hanyou turned his head to regard the houshi, he continued. "You could have easily slain the painter, but you spared him. That is mercy."

"Keh!" He turned his head away again as Kagome came up to him and gave him a smile.

Miroku regarded the two for a moment in silence. It was surprising to learn that Kagome possessed spiritual powers. It was obvious that she had at least some training but as far he knew miko were trained to regard all youkai as evil. So how had she ended up in Inuyasha's company? He gazed down at his hand and realization came to his mind. "So, why is the baboon-man after Kagome-sama?"

They turned to look at him. Kagome bit her lip. "Err..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"It wouldn't, by chance, have anything to do with the Shikon no Tama, would it?" Miroku asked with a glint in his eye.

Inuyasha lunged forward and fisted his hand in his robes. "How the hell do you know about that?" he growled, ignoring Kagome's attempts to calm him.

Miroku lifted his arms. "Calm down. Put me down and I'll explain." Inuyasha glared but complied.

Miroku straightened his robes and ignored Inuyasha's impatient growl. Once he was satisfied he began. "I didn't actually know, it was a guess. I had heard that the Shikon no Tama had resurfaced and had been on my way to Edo to deal with it. I knew that Naraku would seek it out, after all he was responsible for the death of its previous guardian." Inuyasha's and Kagome's eyes widened at that, and Kagome finally remembered where she had heard the name Naraku. Kaede had mentioned it when she spoke of her sister's death.

"But before I could get there, I heard that it had been destroyed by a miko that had appeared out of nowhere." He regarded Kagome. "It was said that she did not wear the typical miko clothing and did not regard all youkai as evil. Am I right in assuming that you, Kagome-sama, are that miko?"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha then admitted "Yes, I was the one to purify the jewel but with Inuyasha's help." She regarded Miroku suspiciously. "But how did you know?"

"Well, you did display miko powers during and after the battle, you do not wear the typical miko clothing and you travel with a hanyou. But the thing that really raised my suspicions was the ink."

"The ink?"

"Yes, you see, I have been sensing something familiar about the ink since we encountered the painter and I finally realized just what it was. I believe I know who your baboon-man is."

Inuyasha grabbed him again. "Who? And where can I find him?" he growled.

"I wish I knew where to find him. It appears our two quests have joined. For the familiar sensation that I felt was the same one I get from my Kazaana. Your baboon-man is none other than Naraku, the one I seek to kill."

Inuyasha released him as his eyes widened. "Naraku?"

"Yes, I am sure he was most unhappy with the jewel's destruction. Just as he was unhappy when it fell out of his grasp fifty years ago. It is just like Naraku to want revenge, and then send others to do his dirty work for him." Miroku regarded the other two for a moment as they digested his news. "So, where are we going to next?"

Inuyasha turned his head to glare at Miroku. "Keh! What's this we, bouzu?"

Miroku tilted his head. "Isn't it obvious? Naraku is after Kagome-sama. He will eventually go after her himself when his current tactics continue to fail. If I wish to survive, Naraku must be defeated. Therefore, if I remain with you, I will have a better chance of encountering Naraku to succeed in my own quest."

"Feh. Who says we need your help?"

"We have a better chance of succeeding if we work together." Miroku told him. "Besides, wouldn't it be helpful to have access to my knowledge of Naraku? My family has been trying to defeat him for fifty years. I do have some knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses and the way he thinks."

"Keh! And yet you haven't succeeded in those fifty years, now have you?"

Kagome grasped his arm. "Please Inuyasha, I'm sure Miroku-sama will be a lot of help."

Inuyasha's eyes widened and he stared down at her. "Y-you want him to come?" His ears drooped. Why did she want the bouzu to come? It wasn't like she- He eyed her suspiciously. "You don't like him, do you?" he questioned her quietly.

Kagome gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?" Then her eyes widened in realization and she slapped his arm before hugging him. "Baka! No, I don't, at least not like that. I just meant that since he knows about Naraku he could be a lot of help. Besides, we know that he is helpful in a fight. And if we need anything from a village, he can get it since you don't want me to go." She gave him a pleading look.

"Fine, the bouzu can come with us." He turned and fixed the houshi with a glare. "But I'm watching you bouzu. I find you spying on Kagome or trying to touch her and you won't have to worry about your curse ending your life, I'll do it for you."

Miroku waved him off. "I understand you completely. So shall we be off?"

Kagome paused for a moment as a thought occurred to her. "Hey, what happened to that tanuki?" She didn't see where he had gone and hoped that one of the youkai hadn't gotten him.

Miroku looked over at her. "Oh, Hachi? Don't worry about him. He's a bit of a coward. He ran off once his task was complete. He'll turn up again at some point."

"Feh, reminds me of someone else that I know. At least yours is more useful." Inuyasha snorted as he thought of a certain flea.

And with that the newly formed trio set off, Inuyasha's ears again twitching from the renewed sound of buzzing insects.

* * *

Wow. The chapters just keep getting longer and longer. I hope you all enjoyed this one. I know a lot of people weren't expecting this because there were no jewel shards. I hope nobody minds that I took creative license by having Naraku give the painter the enchanted ink. I just really liked the idea of Inuyasha repeatedly passing out from the ink. Also, I needed a way to get Miroku to rejoin them and figured it would be a good way to reveal the knowledge that Naraku is the baboon-man. I am not planning to go through every single episode/chapter and rewrite it to fit this story. I will be using canon as a reference but without the shards (and especially without Kikyou) a lot of things won't happen. But major events will still occur, just altered to fit the story. To that end, as things progress you should start to see some major differences from canon in the scenes.

If you are wondering, I use the manga more than I do the anime because it is easier for me to reference when I am doing scenes that only have slight differences from canon. So if anyone was confused about why some things might not be the way they thought it would be, it's because of the differences between the manga and the anime. Though, some things that I like better from the anime might find their way into the fic instead. I hope this information helps anyone who was confused.


	31. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this story.

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Please continue to review and let me know what you think. The changes from canon will continue to ripple out, though some things will remain the same.

Okay. As I have previously stated, I am following the manga more than the anime. To that end, the manga has Inuyasha face Toukajin (the peach man) before meeting Sango. It is at this point that Miroku learns of the new moon. Now when I was outlining this chapter, I misremembered when exactly that occurred. This actually happens after they face Sesshomaru. But when I discovered that, I decided to leave it as is because I feel it fits my time-line better. I still wanted to use this to introduce Miroku to Inuyasha's time of weakness and based on the time-line I had set myself, a little less than two weeks wasn't, in my opinion, enough time for them to have faced Sesshomaru, healed, and then come across Toukajin. So please review and let me know what you think.

Oh, and FYI for those who follow the anime more than the manga, a key difference is that Toukajin was a cannibal. Just letting you know before you get confused in the chapter. You will learn how I was able to incorporate this part without the shards when you read, so enjoy. Oh, and SplendentGoddess, I hope you enjoy this since you did mention wishing I could incorporate it into the story.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she listened to Inuyasha grumble about how slow they were traveling. Miroku-sama had been traveling with them for nearly two weeks now and still there was no sign of Naraku. As time had gone on Inuyasha's mood had soured causing him to find reasons to complain. His current complaint was that the houshi was slowing them down because he was a pathetic human and couldn't move as fast as Inuyasha. Kagome smiled when she remembered his comment when she pointed out that she was a pathetic human as well.

"_Yeah, but I carry you."_

_She had glared at him. "Well you could carry Miroku-sama too if you think we're going so slow."_

"_Feh. The only one I want to carry is you." He blushed when he realized what he had said._

Shaking her head to clear away the warm feeling she got from his words, she sighed again. She found herself missing the time when it was just her and Inuyasha. Oh, she enjoyed Miroku's company and was glad to have someone to talk to as Inuyasha wasn't much for unnecessary conversation, but there were times when she wished it was just the two of them. Well, maybe once they finally found Naraku and defeated him things would go back to the way they were.

She looked up when she noticed that both of her companions had stopped. "What is it?" They were staring at something floating down the river. She gasped as she realized the shapes in the water were human heads.

Miroku bowed his head. "A battle upstream, no doubt." He knelt down beside the water and reached for the heads. "We must put these poor souls to rest. What?" He stared in shock at the head he had just lifted. "These heads...there are no marks, no cuts. Are they even human?"

Kagome moved closer to stare at them. "Is it possible that they are some kind of model or statue?"

Miroku shook his head. "I find that very hard to believe."

Inuyasha leaned in close and sniffed. "No, they carry a human scent."

Kagome stood up. "How horrible. Come on, let's go investigate."

Inuyasha glared at her. "Oi! It's got nothing to do with us. We shouldn't get involved."

"But Inuyasha, it has to be the work of a youkai. We can't let it just keep killing innocent people."

"Keh!" He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to glare at her.

"Yes, I agree with Kagome-sama." Miroku said as he too stood up. He had a glint in his eye as he replied to the hanyou. "Besides, this could be the work of Naraku."

Inuyasha's eyes widened at that. He glanced at the sky, then at the other two waiting for his response. "Keh, fine! We'll check it out." He continued to grumble as they walked upstream.

Kagome gave him glances every now and then. What was with his behavior? There had to be more to it than not wanting to get involved with someone else's problem. A thought began to niggle in the back of her mind but before she could concentrate on it her attention was drawn by voices up ahead.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as they came upon a tree beside the river. The voices were coming from it. "W-what is this?" she cried, grabbing onto Inuyasha's arm as she spotted the human heads **growing** on the tree.

"Please..." "Help us..." The heads continued to plead for assistance.

"Something evil is at work here" Miroku said before approaching the tree. "Tell us, please, what has happened? Who are you?"

The disembodied heads relayed their tale. The trio learned that they were people who had come to the mountain to learn under a mysterious old master. They had thought the mountain was a paradise but soon learned different when they became food for the Peach Man. Inuyasha had snorted and called them fools for allowing themselves to be tricked, resulting in Miroku hitting him over the head with his staff and reprimanding him.

Kagome had been moved by their story, and both she and Miroku inquired if there was anything they could do to help them, only to be told it was too late for the ones already on the tree. But the disembodied heads pleaded for them to save those who had not yet been eaten.

As they contemplated their request, there came the sound of something banging against the rocks. They looked up to see some bones come falling down the mountain. Kagome gasped as she saw the bones land and the tree roots grab hold of and absorb them. "What?" Her attention was drawn back to the branches of the tree as a new head began to sprout.

"It is the head of the former owner of those bones." "The head of enchanted fruit..." "The heart of the Peach Man's elixir of youth and longevity."

"Keh! I don't care what you call him, this Peach Man sounds like a youkai to me. But it doesn't sound as if Naraku is involved, so why should we get involved?"

Kagome turned and gave him a pleading look. "But Inuyasha, we can't let whoever it is get away with this."

He growled before turning his head away. "Keh! Fine." He crouched down, preparing to leap. "You two wait here while I go deal with him."

"Wait, Inuyasha. We should go together." Miroku stated as he stepped forward.

"Feh. You'll just slow me down. If I go by myself I can deal with him and be back before sunset." With that he leaped up and began bounding up the mountain. He called back "And you better keep your hands to yourself while I'm gone bouzu!"

Kagome frowned. Why was it so important to be finished by sunset? She gasped as her earlier suspicion sprouted in her mind. 'Oh, no. The new moon is tonight. Inuyasha will turn human. How could I have forgotten?' She glanced towards Miroku. 'I can't tell Miroku about that but what am I going to do if Inuyasha isn't back my sundown?'

Meanwhile Inuyasha had nearly reached the top of the mountain. "Damn it" he cursed as he saw how low the sun was. He had been hoping to find a good place to set up camp for the night. One where he and Kagome could go off by themselves. He didn't care what the bouzu thought they would have been up to, he wasn't ready to reveal his secret to anyone but Kagome and he didn't trust the bouzu if he left Kagome alone with him for the whole night. Now it looked like he would have no choice but to share his secret. He cursed again, his mood decidedly foul as he landed on a ledge with a door. He kicked in the door and stared at the fat being lounging inside and being attended to by low level animal youkai. Cracking his knuckles he thought 'At least I'll be able to work off some of my anger before the sun sets.'

The fat man forced himself to his feet. "Who are you? How dare you barge in here like that!" He waved away his servants.

"Feh. You don't smell like a youkai, but you reek of dead humans." Inuyasha grasped the hilt of the Tessaiga and drew it from its sheathe. "You look pretty well-fed. I guess it pays to pose as an ancient master and devour your students." He glared and started forward, swinging the Tessaiga. "Prepare to die!"

He was startled when the sword bounced off the Peach Man's stomach. "What? His flesh, it **repelled** the Tessaiga?"

The Peach Man grabbed a nearby leaf covered staff. "I don't know who you are or where you came from, youkai, but you will regret coming here. You will see that I, Toukajin, do not **pose** as an ancient master!" He shook the staff causing flowers to fall and fill the air.

"Feh. Flowers? A cheap trick for a supposed master, don't you think?" Inuyasha taunted.

"Fool. Look carefully at the flowers." There was a wicked glint in Toukajin's eye.

Inuyasha stared at the flowers as they suddenly appeared to grow. "What? How can flowers grow so quickly?" Suddenly Tessaiga felt much heavier in his hand and he glanced down to see that it was much bigger than it had been. A moment later and it fell to the ground as he was no longer able to hold it.

"Baka! The flowers haven't grown. You've shrunk!"

Inuyasha stared in horror at the mountainous form of the Peach Man as he reached out a hand and grabbed him. Before he could react, he was tossed into his mouth and swallowed whole.

* * *

A few minutes after Inuyasha had left, Kagome had really begun to worry. She didn't know why but she had a really bad feeling that he was in danger and she didn't think that it was just because of the new moon. She began to search around the bottom of the cliff face.

Miroku spoke up from where he had sat. "Kagome-sama, please sit and relax. I am sure Inuyasha is fine. He can take care of himself."

She shook her head. "I can't Miroku-sama. I've got a really bad feeling."

He stood and approached her. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." He placed his hand on her shoulder, intending to lead her away from the cliff. "Just come and sit down. Inuyasha will be back in no time. I don't know why you women have to worry over every little thing."

Kagome stiffened at his words and glared at him. Then she felt his hand moving downward and she turned and slapped him. "How dare you?"

Miroku rubbed his cheek from where he had fallen in the bushes. On second thought, perhaps that hadn't been such a great idea. He moved to stand and noticed a set of stairs hidden behind the bushes. It looked like they went all the way to the top. He became aware of Kagome advancing on him, her miko aura flaring as she prepared to lash into him with her tongue. He quickly drew her attention to the stairs. "My apologies Kagome-sama, I didn't mean it. I was merely trying to get your attention off of your worries when there was nothing that we could do about them. But look! We now have a way up."

Kagome gave him one last glare before grabbing her weapons and starting up the stairs.

Miroku wiped the sweat from his brow and grabbed his staff before following her.

Kagome set a brutal pace, her worry fueling her feet. They made it to the top and found a door leading into a building. Kagome was really worried now. The sun was nearly completely set and there was still no sign of Inuyasha. Entering the building they saw no one. But there was a miniature garden set up in the middle of the room they found themselves in. Kagome stared at it as something about it drew her attention. She gasped as she realized that there were tiny humans inside of it. "What?"

Miroku also peered into the garden. "Hmm. Imminent victims of the Peach Man, no doubt." But as they continued to stare into the garden a strange sensation came over them.

"Is the garden growing?" Kagome asked before she felt her weapons and pack fall to the ground.

"No, we appear to be shrinking" Miroku replied as he too lost his grip on his staff. They soon found themselves standing in the middle of the garden. Exchanging a glance, they immediately set out to speak to one of the other occupants.

If they had happened to look up at that moment they would have seen the Peach Man as he stumbled into the room and looked curiously at the weapons. "Hmm? Now where did these come from?" Shrugging his shoulders, he tossed them to the side before retrieving a large jar and drinking its contents. "That youkai gave me indigestion." Jar in hand he wandered out of the room.

* * *

Inuyasha groaned from the puddle he had landed in. Looking around he grimaced in disgust. For once he was glad his sense of smell had faded. He didn't want to know what he was standing in. He began trying to climb his way out of the stomach he found himself in, cursing the entire way. "Bastard! When I get out of here I'm going to take my time ripping him to shreds!"

He was about halfway up when some type of liquid came pouring down in a rush and he found himself back at the bottom in another puddle. To make matters worse, the liquid dislodged a bone that had been laying in the stomach, causing it rise up and hit him on the head. "Fuck!" he cursed, glaring at his surroundings. His nose wrinkled, despite his weakened sense of smell the place still reeked.

A hissing sound drew his attention and he looked to see the bone dissolving in the stomach acid. "Shit, I don't have a lot of time." He glared at the stomach wall and cracked his knuckles. "Guess I'll just have to rip up from the inside. HYAH!" He swung his fist only to have it bounce back and send him back into the puddle of stomach contents.

"Damn it. His body's as rubbery inside as it is outside." He clenched his fist to try again only to feel his body pulse. He stared in horror at his hand. "No! My claws..." He watched as they began to recede, turning into weak human nails. 'My powers are fading! The sun must have set.' He stared at his surroundings in horror. 'Once I've turned completely human, my body will dissolve! No, there has to be a way out of this.'

"Fuck, that hurts!" The acid was starting to eat at him. He moved to stomach wall and began punching it. "No! I refuse to go out like this!" Suddenly the sheathe at his side gave a pulse. He stared at it. "Maybe I can rip through his flesh with this." He began striking the flesh with the sheathe to no effect.

Suddenly the flesh pushed in, knocking him off his feet and back in to the stomach acid. "Gah! It burns!" He noticed his clothing being eaten away. "Feh! Without my youki, even the fire-rat is no match for this acid. Is this the end?" he couldn't help but wonder.

The sheathe pulsed again in his hand and his eyes widened in understanding. "It's calling Tessaiga!" Standing, he pointed the opening of the sheathe at the stomach wall. "Tessaiga! Come to me!" he commanded. He watched as stomach wall bent in as if something was pressing against it. "Yes! That's it! Come!" But then it bounced back. "No! Damn it! It was repelled." He groaned, all out of ideas.

He looked up as the contents around him began to swirl around. "What?" Suddenly, he felt himself rising and then in a rush of liquid he was expelled from the stomach. He hit the ground and shook his head, eyes landing on the Tessaiga. "I'm back to my normal size" he realized as he snatched up his sword. His eyes landed on Toukajin and he charged, swinging the sword only to be repelled again.

He tried to lift himself up only to see a shadow falling over him. His eyes widened and then he groaned as he was crushed beneath the Peach Man's enormous girth. He was barely conscious as he felt himself being lifted. "Hmm. Could it be, that you are the same youkai that I swallowed earlier?" Consciousness left him as he felt himself being dragged through the building.

He awoke a short time later unable to move and covered in thorny vines. "W-what the hell?"

"Hmm? Awake, are you?" Toukajin moved to stand in front of him. "You're a hanyou, aren't you?" He began to rummage in a large jar. "I don't get to taste hanyou flesh very often. I think I'll bleed you, pickle you and save you for later. Ha-ha."

"Keh!" Inuyasha glared at him and lifted his arm, trying to swing at the Peach Man. "I like a monster with big ambitions but it's going to take better than you to kill me. Gah!" He cried out as the thorns sliced at his skin, preventing him from breaking free.

Toukajin continued to laugh. "Struggle all you like, it will only help the thorns suck your blood dry." He turned to leave. "I'll be back later, once my plant has had an opportunity to drain more of your blood."

Inuyasha could only glare at his back as he felt his strength leaving him with every drop of blood that left his body. 'At least Kagome's safe' was his only thought as he felt his eyes begin to droop closed again. He forced them open again, refusing to give up. Kagome might be safe for now but he knew that she would follow him if he didn't return. He had to get out of here before she did.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kagome and Miroku had explored the miniature garden they found themselves in and discovered that all of the people in it were spaced out, like they were drugged. Miroku had deduced that it was the fruit that caused this and they decided it was better if they didn't eat or drink anything. But they were no closer to discovering a way out of the garden, and none of the other people were able to respond to them.

Suddenly, they saw a large hand descend from the sky. Kagome's eyes widened. "That's it! We have to grab onto that hand." She began to run toward it. In the back of her mind, she wondered if this was such a good idea. She could already hear Inuyasha yelling at her about her stupid ideas. 'It's the only way' she told herself.

She gasped as she felt the hand close around her and several of the zombie-like men. When it reopened she found herself staring into a gigantic, hideous face. "What's this? I don't remember catching something as delicious looking as you" he leered at her before flicking the others back into the garden. "Today must be my lucky day. I caught myself that hanyou and this delectable little treat. Ha-ha."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Y-you caught **Inuyasha**?"

Toukajin regarded her with curiosity. "Hmm? You two tasty creatures know each other?"

Kagome glared up at him, uncaring of the fact that he literally held her in the palm of his hand and could squash her at any time. "He better be alive and whole Peach Man. If he's not, I'll never forgive you! I'll make you pay, even if it's the last thing I do!" She gasped then groaned as his hand tightened around her.

From his place hidden on Toukajin's sleeve, Miroku could only shake his head. 'Kagome-sama, you really shouldn't make him angry right now.' He couldn't help but wonder at her nerve and bravery, foolish as it may be.

Toukajin, however, had begun to laugh at her words. "Ha-ha. You've got spunk" he told her before turning and moving to another room. "It would be a waste to eat you while you were tiny!" He squeezed again, until she passed out.

* * *

"Gah!" Inuyasha cried again before slumping against the vines holding him. More blood trickled down from his wounds. "Damn it, I'm losing to much blood." He could feel himself weakening and his eyes were getting bloody but still he refused to give up. He needed to get out of here before Kagome got caught. He could only hope that Miroku would keep her from doing anything rash.

Toukajin reentered the room at that point. "Oh, still alive I see." He tossed something onto the floor.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he took in the sight of Kagome's green outfit, the one she had been wearing. 'No! Kagome's clothes! N-no, she can't be-' He felt his heart lurch in his chest.

"Oh? What a tragic expression on your face. Ha-ha" Toukajin taunted before gulping from his jar.

"K-Kagome. What did you do to her?" Inuyasha demanded as he renewed his struggles against the vines now slick with his blood.

"Oh, don't worry about her. You'll see her again, soon enough. In my belly! Ha-ha!"

Inuyasha's heart lurched again as he fixed the Peach Man with a hateful stare. "You...ATE...her?"

"What are else are mortals for?"

"BASTARD! GRR!" Inuyasha lunged forward with all of his might, uncaring of the vines that tore into him. He didn't care what happened to him, he was going to tear Toukajin to shreds.

Miroku looked up from his hiding spot. His eyes widened at the sight of Inuyasha. 'It's the same voice, the same clothing and definitely the same attitude and foul language but he appears to be human.' He stretched out his spiritual powers but could sense no youki from him. 'What could have caused this change?' He watched as the now human Inuyasha struggled with all of his might against the vines holding him. His eyes widened as he saw the vines pull slightly away from the ceiling. 'I don't know how much I can suck in with this now.' He regarded his hand as he moved to unseal it. 'But I'll give it my best shot.'

"It's useless for you to struggle. Those vines can not be severed. You are only hastening your own demise." Toukajin took another drink before his eyes widened. "What?"

The vines began to tear away from the ceiling, straight towards the Peach Man. Inuyasha gave a final burst of energy as he felt the vines loosen. "HYAH!" The entire plant tore away, burying Toukajin.

Inuyasha shook his head to clear it as he found himself free and able to move again. He stumbled to his feet and began moving towards the Peach Man. "Hold on Kagome" he panted. "I'll rip this monster's gut apart until I find you." He refused to believe that he was too late.

He bent down in front of where Toukajin lay but paused as he heard a voice call his name. He turned his head and his eyes widened as he took in the miniature form of Miroku. "What?"

"There's no time. We must hurry and rescue Kagome-sama" Miroku told him as he climbed free of the vines and latched onto Inuyasha's clothing.

"Feh, what do you thing I'm trying to do" Inuyasha responded as he lifted Miroku up and started to turn back to the Peach Man.

"He didn't eat her." At those words, Inuyasha finally began to listen to the houshi.

* * *

Kagome slowly began to wake up to a pleasant sensation. 'Hmm? Did I fall asleep in the bath? The water feels wonderful.' She basked in the warm feeling of the water, not ready to open her eyes just yet. Her mind was fuzzy and she tried to remember what had happened. A bad smell intruded on her thoughts causing her to wrinkle her nose and finally open her eyes. "EEK!" She cried as she looked around and realized that she wasn't in a bath after all. "W-what?" She cried as she hastily tried to cover herself with her arms.

All around her, lower level animal youkai were running around and preparing food. They ignored her, and one took the opportunity to dump the contents of a jar into the basin she found herself sitting in. "I'm in the kitchen?" She gasped as she finally recalled the previous events of the day. "I don't want to be dinner!" she cried and made a move to dash out of the soup she found herself in.

But the youkai weren't about to let the main course escape and they blocked her path, knives at the ready. Kagome jumped backwards with a startled scream.

At the sound of her scream, the door exploded inwards. "Kagome!" Inuyasha stood panting in the doorway. The youkai took one look at his angry and fierce expression and bolted through another exit.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome completely forgot her present state of dress as she saw the state of the currently human Inuyasha. Standing, she rushed out of the vat in a hurry to examine the multiple wounds she could see. She paused as she caught sight of the gobsmacked look on his face right before he turned around. His actions and the sudden breeze she felt reminded her of her state of dress, and with a shriek she wrapped her arms around her body again.

For his part, Inuyasha had found it nearly impossible to tear his eyes away from the sight that had met him upon entering the kitchen. He placed a hand on the wall to steady himself from the wave of dizziness that resulted from the little blood remaining in his body trying to rush to one part of his body. Miroku's grumbling from the confines of Inuyasha's haori, where he had fallen when the door was kicked down, broke the spell and Inuyasha whirled around with a blush. The dizziness increased and he sat down before glaring at the spot he felt Miroku moving around at. 'Feh, no way is that bouzu gonna see **that**!' he thought as he shoved him into his kosode with a harsh "Don't even think about trying to peek, bouzu!" Satisfied that the houshi would obey, he pulled off his haori and thrust it out behind him. "Here."

Kagome could only stare in horror, her embarrassment forgotten, as Inuyasha removed his haori and she got a better look at his wounds. Her arms dropped to her sides as she quickly approached him, her worry overriding her embarrassment. She was startled when the haori was thrust at her before she could reach him. She gasped as she took in how much blood stained it.

Inuyasha heard her gasp. "Put it on. Even if your disgusted by the blood, it's better than nothing" he told her.

Her head shot up as she grabbed the haori out of his hands and held it in front of her. Feeling that it was decent enough cover for the moment, she knelt by his side and hesitantly put her hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "I'm not disgusted by **your** blood" she told him. "I'm just worried about you."

He covered her hand with his and squeezed it gently. "Feh, they're just scratches. Don't worry, I'll be fine once the sun rises. Now hurry up and get dressed."

Kagome complied by pulling the haori on and tying it so that it covered her like a short dress or kimono. Then she returned to his side and took his arm, draping it over her shoulder to help support him before they quickly headed out of the room.

They traveled through the building for what seemed like hours. It was much bigger than it appeared from the outside and was designed like a labyrinth. Despite Inuyasha's grumbling, they repeatedly stopped to rest. As time went on, Kagome only grew more worried about Inuyasha's condition. She wasn't sure that it was a good idea to move him, something that Miroku agreed with her on. But Inuyasha had made the valid point that Toukajin had likely freed himself by now and it wasn't safe to stay in one spot for too long.

Finally, they came to a room with a balcony. "Look Inuyasha! Maybe we can climb out of here."

Inuyasha let out a groan as she gently eased him to the ground before running to inspect the doorway. "Is it morning yet?" he asked as she returned to his side.

She shook her head. "No, it's still too dark out. And I don't think we can get out this way, not with how badly injured you are."

Inuyasha forced himself to his feet. "Show me."

Kagome sighed but helped him over to the balcony. "See? It's a long way down a cliff. We'll never make it."

Inuyasha gave the cliff a contemplative look before switching his gaze to Kagome. She caught his look and realized his intentions. "No, you can just forget that idea. I am not leaving you here alone! Either we all get out or none of us do."

Inuyasha glared at her and opened his mouth to argue but was stopped as another voice spoke up. "Hello, is someone there?"

They looked and discovered a plant with a single human head. They learned that the owner was the actual ancient master, and had once been the Peach Man's mentor until Toukajin turned to the dark arts and killed him. His head had been kept alive so that Toukajin could learn the recipe for an elixir that would bestow youth and longevity.

But during the explanation, Toukajin burst into the room. "There you are! Clever little things managed to get all the way up here, did you? This is the end of the line for you!" He charged forward, swinging his staff which extended itself.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and tried to leap away, only to take the brunt of the attack on his back. "Gah!" he cried as they crashed to the ground.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome tried to rouse him from where he had fallen on top of her. He groaned and struggled to push himself up before collapsing against her again.

"See how weak you are? Humans are such weak creatures, you must admit. They are born helpless, spend their lives doing someone else's work in the mud, and then they die! I swore to myself that I would never let that happen to me. That's why I apprenticed myself to that ridiculous Hermit Master. But he wouldn't teach me any real spells, only basic things. So when he wasn't around I peeked at his scrolls and learned that the fastest way to master the magic is to devour the flesh of one who has already mastered it. But still, he defies me and refuses to share the final secret of the elixir of youth and longevity!" Toukajin smashed his staff into the ground to emphasize his rage.

"What a monster" Miroku spoke up from Kagome's shoulder, "that the evil inside him would turn him into this." He shook his head sadly at the wasted life.

Kagome heard his words but remained focused on Toukajin. "How horrible. How could you kill all of those people, and for something as pathetic as that? You've been eating the flesh of humans, and yet you are human! How could you?"

Toukajin laughed. "What's wrong with the strong eating the weak? It's no different from a snake swallowing a frog or a mouse."

"You're a cannibal, a monster!" She quieted when she felt Inuyasha move against her and glanced down in time to see him push himself up with a groan. "Inuyasha, you shouldn't move, you're badly hurt."

"Feh, it's no use arguing with the likes of him, you won't get anywhere." He forced himself to his feet, brushing off her worried attempts to keep him still. He glared at Toukajin. "I'm a hanyou. For so long I've hated the frailty of my human half, so I can sympathize with you wanting to be stronger." He wobbled on his feet and grasped the side of a large jar to steady himself. His dark violet eyes flashed as he fixed Toukajin with an intense stare. "But your depravity only proves your weakness!"

"Ha! Who are you to lecture me about weakness, when you stand there bleeding and crippled?" Toukajin lifted his staff again.

Inuyasha grasped the jar more firmly. "You will never know **half** the strength that I do!" he yelled as he hurled the jar at the Peach Man's head, stunning him. Moving as fast as his injured body allowed, he ran at Toukajin, hand outstretched. 'If I can just get that staff away from him, it will even things out enough that I'll have a chance of surviving until the sun rises.'

But just as his fingers brushed the staff, a massive fist slammed into his body, and hurled him backwards into a wall. He slid down it, overturning several jars and causing heads and liquid to spill out on the ground.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome cried as she saw him hit the wall and then the ground. She made to go to him but the Peach Man now stood between them and she hesitated. Her eyes landed on the heads rolling around on the floor. 'Heads? Of those that were devoured?' She brought her hand to her mouth in horror.

Inuyasha groaned from where he laid. He stared in disgust at the liquid that covered him.

"Take a sip of that" the voice of the disembodied old hermit said.

Inuyasha turned to stare at him. "What?"

The hermit stared at the liquid in disgust. "That is the sham elixir of youth and longevity that Toukajin has distilled using the heads of those he devoured. It is a mockery, but it possesses the power to at least heal your wounds. If you want to be saved, then drink it."

"Ha-ha!" Toukajin's deranged laughter drew their attention. "Yes, drink it. I don't mind. It'll be more fun if you fight back a little. Ha-ha!"

Inuyasha growled and he kicked the remains of the jar away from him. "Feh. As if I'd drink anything that you made." He forced himself to his feet again. "No way I'd do anything that would make me more like you!"

"Ha-ha! Then you choose death hanyou? You would choose to die rather than to drink an elixir made from human heads?"

"Keh! Who said anything about dying? I just meant that I don't need to drink your slop to defeat you!" With that Inuyasha charged forward again.

But Toukajin just laughed again and swung his staff, causing large, thorn-covered vines to shoot out at Inuyasha.

Kagome bit her lip in worry as she watched Inuyasha dodge the vines to the best of his ability, wincing with each one that managed to hit him. Frantically, she looked around for a way to help and her eyes landed on the Tessaiga laying against the far wall. Her bow and arrows and Miroku's staff were also laying nearby, along with a number of other weapons. She hurried over to them and snatched the Tessaiga up. Turning around, she saw that Inuyasha had managed to evade the remaining vines and was grappling with Toukajin for the staff. She winced as she saw him get knocked back again, then as Toukajin raised his staff to deliver a blow she called "Inuyasha!" and tossed the sword.

Inuyasha glanced in her direction then caught his sword. Pulling it from his sheathe, he used the rusted blade to block the staff. He cursed himself again that the sword was unable to transform in this form before trying to launch another strike against Toukajin. But the sword just continued to bounce off of the Peach Man's body.

Kagome stared. 'It's like his body is made of rubber.' She winced as Toukajin's staff landed a glancing blow against Inuyasha, knocking him back a few feet. More vines lashed out at the hanyou. "Inuyasha! Get out of there! You can't beat him, not without your powers!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha continued to evade the vines to the best of his ability. "I won't give up. I refuse to let someone like him beat me." He threw himself forward again.

Kagome saw more vines streak toward him. "There has to be something I can do to help." Her eyes landed on her bow and she snatched it up. She was vaguely aware of Miroku trying to use his Kazaana to suck up the vines but it was ineffectual in its shrunken form. She notched an arrow and aimed carefully. "No!" she cried as she saw Toukajin slam Inuyasha to the ground, one large hand wrapped around his throat. She pulled back on the arrow, only to have her bow snap in her hands. "Gah!" she cried as the string snapped back, cutting her cheek. "No.." she stared at the broken weapon in her hands.

Toukajin merely laughed. "Oh, too bad. Not that it would have helped you anyway. I'm invincible." He began to turn his attention back to strangling Inuyasha but paused and called back "Don't worry, I'll deal with you as soon as I'm finished with the hanyou."

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open from their half-closed state at the threat. 'Kagome' he thought. He still clutched Tessaiga in one hand, and with effort managed to lift it and stab it forward for the only weak spot he could see; Toukajin's eye. "Don't take me for granted" he gasped out.

"ARGH!" Toukajin lashed out, snapping Inuyasha's arm like a twig.

Kagome flinched at the sound. "Inuyasha" she cried, clutching the remains of her weapon.

"You, girl" a voice called to her and she turned to see the old hermit. "You must stop him. You must avenge me and the others."

She shook her head. "I can't. I'm too weak."

"Bah! Too strong is more like it. Just look at your bow." At her confused look he continued. "You are a miko, girl. I could sense the spiritual energy you channeled a moment ago. You focused too much, which is what caused your weapon to break. It was not meant to handle that kind of stress."

Kagome shook her head again. "Even still, I am untrained. Without a bow I am useless."

"I can give you a bow." Her head shot up at the hermit's words. "A bow that is suited for you, that won't break when you channel your powers. All I ask is that you avenge us." With that, the hermit was surrounded by a glow, which faded to reveal a bow where he had been.

"He sacrificed himself, to become a bow?" A determined look came over her face as she reached for it. "I won't let your sacrifice be in vain" she promised. Notching an arrow, she took careful aim and let it fly. She was amazed by the brightness of the pink light surrounding the arrow. She had never released that amount of spiritual energy with an arrow before.

The arrow shot forward and struck Toukajin, who howled in pain as the energy burned him. He flung Inuyasha away and turned to face Kagome, fury etched on his face. Burns covered his body.

Kagome stared at the burns. The energy shouldn't have hurt him if he was human, but it should have hurt him a lot more if he was youkai. But she didn't have long to contemplate it as he started to charge her. "You little! How dare you? I'm gonna make you pay!" She tried to dodge, only to find herself standing in front of the balcony with no where to go.

Inuyasha's heart gave a lurch as he saw Toukajin go after Kagome and he forced his body to move. Racing after the Peach Man, he yelled "Kagome! DUCK!" As she did, he slammed himself forward into Toukajin's back, pushing them both over the balcony railing and down the cliff. As he fell he could hear Kagome screaming his name. His eyes began to drift closed as the rest of his strength left him. 'Kagome' he thought. 'At least I was able to keep you safe.' As his eyes slowly closed he thought about trying to wedge Tessaiga into the cliff to halt his fall but found that he had no energy left.

"You weak fool! I told you you would die!" Toukajin ranted from slightly below Inuyasha who ignored him. As long as Kagome was safe, it didn't matter what happened to him. He was distantly aware that things seemed to be getting brighter, then his eyes closed and everything was dark.

"NOOO! Inuyasha! INUYASHA!" Kagome yelled for another moment before she turned and ran toward the door. He couldn't be dead. She had seen the sun come up a few moments after he fell. He would have transformed back to his hanyou form. Surely he could survive in that form, right? She found the exit and raced down the steps, vaguely aware of Miroku calling after her. She ignored him and kept running. She had to get to the bottom, had to find Inuyasha.

Halfway down the steps, she stumbled and would have fallen the rest of the way had a hand not shot out and grabbed her by the arm. Startled, she whirled to face Miroku, who had somehow been restored to normal size.

"Kagome-sama, you must slow down before you end up hurting yourself." His eyes bore into hers as he continued. "Injuring yourself won't help the situation any. Inuyasha wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt."

"Stop! Don't talk about him like he's dead! He's not! He can't be!" Tears leaked out of eyes as she tried to wrench her arm free but Miroku held firm.

He sighed. "Kagome-sama, you must face the facts. The spell that shrunk me has been broken, most likely with the death of the Peach Man. Much as I hate to admit it, Inuyasha likely didn't survive the fall either. He was badly injured to begin with and human."

"No! He's not dead! The sun came up and he would have changed back! No way he would let a fall like that kill him!" This time she succeeded in pulling free and began to race down the stairs again.

Miroku sighed and followed her. "I hope you are right, Kagome-sama."

Once they reached the bottom of the cliff they quickly located Toukajin's body, but Inuyasha was nowhere in sight. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha! INUYASHA!" Kagome called as she frantically looked around for a sign of the hanyou. "I don't understand. Toukajin's here but where is Inuyasha?" A sob escaped her.

Miroku sighed and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm afraid he is underneath him" he gestured to Toukajin. "I am sorry."

"No!" Kagome began to trying to push the body out of the way but it was too heavy. "No, he's not dead, he's not!" Sobs wracked her body as she was unable to budge the enormous weight of the Peach Man.

A short distance away, Inuyasha stirred in the tree he had landed in. "Ugh" he muttered as he took notice of the pain coursing through his body from his various wounds. He opened his eyes and discovered that it was morning. "Feh, sun couldn't have risen just a little earlier?" he groused as he slowly sat up. His ears twitched on top of his head as nearby shouts caught his attention. "Kagome?" he murmured then stiffened as he detected the scent of her tears. He began to climb out of the tree as he heard Miroku speak.

"Come Kagome-sama. Let us pray for his soul. I doubt he died with any regrets, for even as he sacrificed his life, he knew that he was saving yours."

Kagome stiffened and pulled away from Miroku. "But I didn't want that. I didn't want him to...to..." she couldn't finish the sentence. "He didn't even have his powers and he kept fighting..."

"Yes, he was extremely brave" Miroku agreed.

Kagome whirled around and fixed him with a glare. "That wasn't bravery, it was stupidity! Baka Inuyasha! Baka, baka, BAKA!"

Her words froze Inuyasha in his tracks from where he was about to emerge from behind the tree. 'What? This is the thanks I get for saving her life?' A scowl began to form on his face as he listened to her until he saw the tears streaming down her face.

"Baka Inuyasha" she sobbed, "how could you leave me?"

Inuyasha moved towards her, his movement drawing Miroku's attention from where he was just about to embrace the distraught girl in order to 'comfort' her. At his glare, Miroku easily took a step back and gestured for the hanyou to proceed. "Keh! Who are you calling a baka?"

Kagome's head shot up and she stared at the hanyou in front of her. "What? You didn't really think a little fall like that could hurt me, did you?" Her eyes lit up and she lunged forward to embrace him.

Inuyasha flinched a little when she wrapped herself around him before sighing and hesitantly placing his own arms around her body and holding her close as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I-I thought you were d-dead." She cried for a few moments longer as she struggled to get her emotions under control. Happiness, relief, and anger warred within her. "Don't scare me like that again!" she ordered as she slapped his chest.

Inuyasha sighed and hugged her a little tighter as he dropped his chin to rest on the top of her head. He ignored Miroku's staring as he breathed in her sweet scent. He'd never admit it, but he had thought he was going to die as well. His nose wrinkled as he detected the scent of her blood. He grasped her chin and tilted it up, peering at the cut on her cheek before he ignored her blush and gently licked it, healing it.

When they finally separated they saw that Toukajin's body was dissolving and the heads on tree had transformed into normal fruit. Miroku explained that with the death of the Peach Man, his spell had been broken and their spirits released, and that those trapped in the miniature garden had probably been returned to normal as he was. Kagome then fussed over his wounds before he grumbled that they would heal. She argued that they had to be treated and reached for her pack only to remember that it and their other supplies were still in Toukajin's lair.

And so they began the climb back up the stairs in order to retrieve their supplies so that they could leave. Kagome wondered aloud as she inspected her new bow "Why was I able to injure him with my arrow? It was the spiritual energy not the arrow that hurt him. But why, if he was human?"

Miroku explained. "I think he was no longer entirely human. He had performed such evil actions that he sacrificed his humanity. I believe that he was slowly turning into a youkai himself."

His words caused Inuyasha to wonder 'If a human could change into a youkai, was it possible for him to turn full youkai as well?' He couldn't help but feel that it was his human weakness that had led him to be so badly injured. But as he looked at Kagome, he was unsure if he really wanted to change after all. Would she still stay with him if he was a full youkai? He was drawn from his deep thoughts when Miroku turned to face him and asked "Just how did you become a hanyou again, anyway? And why were you human?"

Inuyasha cursed as he realized that another person had learned of his secret as Kagome began to explain. The only thing preventing him from sinking into a foul temper was the feeling of Kagome's hand in his and the relief from the buzzing noise that had been irritating him for so long. It took him a moment to realize that he hadn't heard the sound since shortly before they discovered the heads in the river. As he listened to Kagome speak, he wondered briefly about where the insects had gone before pushing the thought out of his mind.

* * *

Now you may be wondering why I decided to include this arc when I didn't really change too many things, even though I did gloss over some parts. There are a number of reasons. One, it is one of my favorites. Two, as I said before, I wanted to keep it as the way that Miroku learned about the new moon. Now I could have just glossed over it and did a summary, but I felt that you deserved to see the characterization and how the relationships differ from canon. Three, has to do with the bow. If you recall from a previous chapter, I had shown that Kagome was different from other miko because her arrows work without a spell already set into them. In this chapter, I showed that she was overloading her weapon, which caused it to snap. She has now gained a new bow which is better able to withstand her magic. Now that I have answered any questions you might have had, please let me know what you think. Sorry it took so long to get out.


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